“We didn’t give birth to children for war!” Russia recruits migrants to the front – grief and protests of families

Since the beginning of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian authorities have stepped up efforts to recruit migrants to participate in hostilities. This process has intensified in the context of a lack of volunteers among Russian citizens, despite official mobilization measures. Relatives of migrants, many of whom ended up in the Russian prison system for minor crimes or without good reason, expressed strong dissatisfaction with attempts to recruit their loved ones for the war. This was written in Deutsche Welle.

It is known that Russia began to attract migrants from Central Asian countries to the army, offering them large cash rewards, amnesty for participating in the war, as well as simplified citizenship. Imprisoned migrants have become one of the main targets of recruitment. Offers to become part of the hostilities come not only from the Russian authorities, but also from private military companies, such as the Wagner PMC. Prisoners are offered a choice – several years of imprisonment or participation in the war with the promise of amnesty. Such an offer puts migrant families in a hopeless situation. Parents, wives and children condemn such steps, believing that their relatives are being used as “cannon fodder”. As one of the mothers of migrants from Uzbekistan stated:

“We did not give birth to our children so that they would die in the war. They went to Russia to work, and not to die for other people’s interests.”

Russia, which for decades has attracted migrants from Central Asian countries for work, is now using them as a resource for war. The economic situation in these countries forces many to leave for work, however, instead of safe work, they face the threat of being sent to war. Despite statements by the authorities of Central Asian countries about banning the participation of their citizens in conflicts on the territory of other states, Russia continues to recruit migrants. In Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, public authorities have issued warnings that participation in the war against Ukraine could result in criminal liability, but these statements do little to change the situation for those already caught up in the Russian system. Appeals to prisoners are made directly in prisons and camps. Families of prisoners are demanding an end to forced mobilization and consider it a violation of human rights.

It is noteworthy that Russian propaganda promotes the recruitment of migrants as a voluntary decision, but numerous testimonies show that it is a matter of coercion. However, this is a standard action of the Russian authorities: to say one thing and do another. Prisoners face threats of extended sentences, and their families face pressure and intimidation. In addition, many migrants are in a state of legal limbo, deprived of legal protection and subject to constant harassment by Russian law enforcement agencies.

Often, promises of amnesty or money in recruitment offers turn out to be lies. Migrants are being sent to the front without proper equipment and training. The lack of legal support leaves them vulnerable both on the battlefield and in the Russian prison system. Russian officials, in turn, continue to push such measures, seeing migrants as easy targets for their plans.

Outrage from families and human rights activists

Human rights organizations in Central Asia and Russia are calling on the international community to pay attention to the problem of migrant recruitment. Families of prisoners are holding rallies and writing open letters, protesting against the use of their relatives as a fighting force. They emphasize that migrants who ended up in Russian prisons initially left to earn money to feed their families, and are now becoming victims of Russian aggression in Ukraine.

“They deprived them of their freedom, and now they want to deprive them of their lives,” one of the wives of an Uzbek prisoner says with pain in her voice. “We cannot accept the fact that our husbands and sons will fight for someone else’s interests.”

Criticism of the Russian government is growing, especially in the context of its treatment of migrants. Russian authorities use migrants not only as an economic labor force, but also as a resource to fill the shortage of military personnel. Many human rights activists emphasize that the recruitment of migrants is not only a violation of international norms, but also an indicator of the cynicism of Russian politics, which is ready to manipulate human destinies for its own purposes.

Russian authorities deny the facts of forced mobilization of migrants, but the testimonies of families and human rights activists say otherwise. Migrants, deprived of rights and legal protection, become easy victims for those who seek to use them in political and military games. Ultimately, this not only puts the lives of thousands of migrants at risk, but also increases tensions in relations between Russia and the Central Asian countries.

The story of the recruitment of migrants into the Russian army is a tragedy that affects thousands of families in Central Asia. Russia, using its resources and influence, continues to manipulate migrants for its own political and military interests. Families of migrants express deep discontent and demand an end to these practices, but so far the Russian government has ignored their demands.
The international community and the Central Asian countries must pay attention to this problem and increase pressure on the Russian government to stop using migrants in the war against Ukraine.