Russia has seen a resurgence in xenophobic sentiment since the suspected gunmen in the Crocus City Hall attack were identified as Tajikistan citizens. Moscow police have established special units to carry out document checks on motorways and in migrant hostels, and police raids targeting migrants have been seen in several Russian cities. This rise in migrant-phobia and xenophobia has drawn concern from NGOs and activists defending the rights of migrants and ethnic minorities in Russia.

For this episode, we asked Alexander Verkhovsky, head of the Sova Center think tank which researches nationalism and racism in Russia, about the dangerous rise in these sentiments. We then speak with Vika Maladaeva, the co-founder of Free Buryatia and president of the Indigenous of Russia Foundation, about Russia’s problems with xenophobia.

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