Migrant Stories

"I do not feel like a stranger in Moscow": migrants about life, family and children.

I am Yarhan. For Russians Yasha. I am an ordinary person and my life is simple, so what to tell. With my brigade we are building houses, do repair works. Read in Russian ...

How to go to the UK and start own business

Every year hundreds of Kyrgyz people leave the country searching for better life. These are the stories of compatriots scattered around the world. They talk about the difficulties of moving, different mentality, peculiarities of life of other culture and how to succeed in a foreign country. Read in Russian ...

Photo Gallery. “Dad will come tomorrow.” How the families of Kyrgyzstani migrants working in Russia live.

“Dad will come tomorrow” is a photo reportage by documentary photographer Elyor Nematov, who has been working for several years on his project “I am a foreigner. Labor migration from Central Asia.” The reportage tells the stories of the families of migrants from Kyrgyzstan: the children, wives, mothers and brothers of those who went to work in Russia. The title of the photo reportage is taken from a sentence the children, waiting for their fathers, hear every day from the adults. Meduza presents Elyor Nematov’s project.

Photo gallery...

How labor migrants from Central Аsia build career in Russia

Employers underestimate the talent pool of specialists and managers from Central Asia. Read in Russian....

A story of businessman's migration

Earlier this year, I was approached by a businessman from Leipzig Dmitry M. with the questions on various topics. I asked him to write an article about his story of migration. Read in Russian ....

Moscow. Girl from Kyrgyzstan creates a miracle

See the video ...

Story of a one detention

Kadyr Saidkasym is a labor migrant, he wrote sketches where the situations connected to migration processes described by different characters. The author of scetches titled those small and educative confessions as: "Story of one detention". Read in Russian...

The Story of a migrant who visited the detention center for "expelled - vydvorenets"

In recent years, among the labor migrants and in the country there are talks about the deportation of our citizens from the Russian Federation. So it touched me, an ordinary citizen of the Kyrgyz Republic, a resident of one of the cities of Chui oblast. Read in Russian...

My history of migration

The aim of our project is to tell about migration as a phenomena, as tendency or the issue. The destinies of come and go people are in the focus. Each migrant can tell his own history, which can be similar and defferent from the stories of million other people. Read in Russian ...

"Travel banned" Kyrgyzstani returned home from Moscow

Maratbek Eshankulov, citizen of Kyrgyzstan who was almost for 2 years and 10 months banned to leave Moscow, at last returned home, to Kyzyl-Kia town. The lawyer of Eshankulov Filip Shipov who advocated the interests of Marat during the time of investigation and court proceedings informed about Marat's return to Vechernyi Bishkek. Read in Russian ...

"The word" migrant "- a knife to the heart"

Tell us how you got the idea to establish a School of Languages migrants? - I recently had the "Muzeon", about a couple of months ago, and the idea was born in January and February. Our promise is clear: we want, above all, to show that the culture of these countries are significant. It is not necessary to treat the Tajiks as wipers - they are carriers of the ancient culture. Read in Russian...

Central Asian Migrants in Russia Find Religion

Central Asian labour migrants in Russia find that Islam offers a refuge that helps ease the difficulties of life in a foreign and sometimes hostile society. While some migrants find comfort and support from religion, experts warn that a minority are vulnerable to recruitment by fundamentalist groups. Read in English...

Uzbek migrants seeking payment of salaries through informal assistance fund

In May 2014, seven Uzbek citizens showed up at the "Fund assistance to migrant workers from Central Asia", who were owed payment for work on the building site. Migrants were employed informally and the employer promised to pay each 30 thousand rubles a month. But in an envelope. Read in Russian...

From Central Asia to Moscow, Riding the Bribery Express

There are three ways Central Asian guest workers travel to Russia, the magnet that draws millions of Kyrgyz, Tajiks and Uzbeks each year. The most expensive is by plane. Train is less pricey. Bus is cheaper still, but it’s also the slowest and most prone to scams from beginning to end. Read in English...

"Black List" or a "Black Hole" for migrants in Russia

Foreign citizens who do not leave Russia in 30 days from the date of the expiration of their temporary residence, are automatically entered in the list and will not be able to enter the territory of the Russian Federation for the next three years, since on the border the passport of a foreign citizen passport is checked for the absence of him/her in the "black list "and only then allowed to enter the country. Read in Russian...

The stereotypical image of a migrant in media

I have lived in Russia for the past few years. I often wonder why it is not easy for migrants from Tajikistan in Russia. Then I add some reasons to the puzzle and a picture emerges that fits the definition of "say a word about a poor Tajik." Read in Russian...

Lots of noise out of nothing

A 25-year-old Kyrgyz is being judged for allegedly double-crossing the border of Kyrgyzstan and Russia on someone else's passport. However, this passport is also in the name of Maratbek Eshankulov, the picture just does not reflect the way he looks today. Read in Russian...

Heroes are born in hard times or another migrant story

I remember that I once worked for a magazine that was glossy and very popular in Central Asia. The editors asked me to write about successful migrants. You will not believe me, but back then I could not imagine where to find a successful guest worker. It is one thing to write about migration in general, and to see in Russia a native of Central Asia almost every step of the way, and quite another to see a successful and business-like migrant. Read in Russian...

After the violence, Moscow migrants deserve respect

Of Russia's 12 million immigrants, about 2-3 million of them live in Moscow, according to the U.N. It's a high proportion for a city of 11 million people.

In 2013 tensions turned violent with mass street protests and several killings believed to be motivated by nationalist sentiment. Read in English...

Central Asia: Governments Slowly Changing Approach To Human Trafficking

Several thousand young women are believed to be lured from Central Asia every year for purposes of prostitution. Governments in the region have been reluctant to discuss the problem of trafficking in humans, pretending the issue does not exist in their countries...However, recent decisions by both Kazakhstan and Tajikistan to amend relevant articles in their criminal codes indicate the governments are changing their approach to the issue. Read in English...