Selling a ‘new perception’ The Kremlin is scrambling to reverse course as its anti-migrant campaign backfires
In a bid to distract from the war in Ukraine and mounting domestic challenges, the Kremlin has ramped up anti-migrant rhetoric. Russian governors have imposed new restrictions on where migrants can work, and the State Duma has passed laws curbing their rights. But as the war drags on and a nationwide labor shortage deepens, officials seem to realize they may have gone too far. Now, they’re backpedaling, softening their stance and attempting to reshape public attitudes. Meduza special correspondent Andrey Pertsev spoke with Kremlin insiders to uncover the motivations behind this shift — and the Kremlin’s plans for a “new perception of migrants.”
After ramping up anti-migrant rhetoric in recent months, the Kremlin’s political team is now trying to reverse course and ease “anti-migrant sentiment” among Russians. While official surveys report most people don’t harbor “hostility” toward migrants, sources close to the Kremlin told Meduza that private polling suggests attitudes may have recently worsened. According to these insiders, the problem is largely due to months of deliberate political focus on illegal migration — a tactic meant to distracting the public from the war’s fallout and growing economic troubles.
The campaign began shortly after the terrorist attack at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall, allegedly carried out by Tajikistani nationals. Law enforcement ramped up raids on migrant communities, State Duma deputies began speaking openly about “problems” caused by “guest workers,” and regional governors started restricting migrants from working in industries like food service and taxi driving. Around the same time, news broke that the Interior Ministry was creating a special registry of undocumented migrants, which would strip those listed of certain rights. Meanwhile, bills aimed at further tightening migration policies are regularly introduced to the State Duma.
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These measures have persisted despite warnings from experts — including officials at the Labor Ministry — that even without restrictions, Russia faces a labor shortage. A regional official who spoke to Meduza on condition of anonymity described the unintended consequences: “Here’s a simple example: they banned migrants from driving taxis. It didn’t seem like a big deal — it’s not exactly a vital sector. But now, in some places, getting a taxi is nearly impossible. People are resorting to VKontakte groups and chats just to find one.”
A source close to the Kremlin confirmed that rural areas “quickly felt the negative effect.” “The men from the provinces who could work are off fighting. You can’t make that kind of money as a civilian. And not everyone comes back, or they return too injured to work. Skilled workers who avoid the war are being absorbed by the military-industrial complex,” the source explained.
Another government insider predicted the situation will only deteriorate. Battlefield losses are one issue, but there’s also the mounting need for resources as Russian forces push deeper into Donbas, requiring a massive effort to “rebuild” occupied territories. “Everything there needs to be rebuilt from scratch — buildings, infrastructure, everything. It’s all been blown to fucking bits. This is on the scale of post-World War II reconstruction,” the source said.
All of this has led the Kremlin to gradually conclude that the fallout from its anti-migrant messaging campaign was more significant than expected and that scaling back anti-migration initiatives and softening the rhetoric would be prudent. Sources close to the administration say Russians don’t fundamentally oppose migrants but are frustrated by those who “don’t learn the language or follow local rules.”
To address this, the Kremlin’s main think tank, the Social Research Expert Institute (EISI), has started studying how other countries — Western nations included — have worked to integrate immigrants. “What kinds of courses they offer, how they integrate children into schools (that’s a whole separate issue), and so on,” explained a political strategist working with the Kremlin. So far, however, Meduza’s sources say no concrete proposals have materialized.
Meanwhile, Putin’s administration — or at least the political team headed by Sergey Kiriyenko — anticipates that state propaganda will soon shift its tone on migrants. The aim is to reassure Russians that the government can enforce “strict control” over immigration while successfully integrating migrants into society.
The groundwork for this “new perception of migrants” is already being laid. United Russia lawmaker and political strategist Oleg Matveychev, who works closely with the Kremlin’s political team, recently claimed that anti-migrant sentiment is being “stirred up” by foreign forces seeking to “tear the Russian people apart from within.” He added that “concerns about migrants have overtaken concerns about the special military operation” in the public consciousness.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov joined the effort, stating, “Russia needs migrants and welcomes their arrival.” Former president and current deputy chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, however, stuck to his characteristically harder line. He reminded the public that starting December 1, Moscow airports will begin photographing and fingerprinting all arriving foreigners and announced plans for a “digital profile” for foreign nationals. “We need to know exactly who is coming here and what kind of people they are. There must be a unified system for managing every person entering the country. The goal, obviously, is to identify all visitors and establish a reliable control system,” Medvedev said.
Still, Kremlin insiders and government sources admit that high-ranking security officials — and, judging by his recent statements, Orthodox Church head Patriarch Kirill — continue to advocate for tougher migration policies. State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin has also supported this stance, introducing related legislation. According to Meduza’s sources, this fragmented approach will likely persist until Vladimir Putin issues a “clear directive.” “Until that happens, things will stay disorganized, but there’s no getting by without migrants. Everyone knows that,” one insider concluded.
Story by Andrey Pertsev