A Million Indians Will Flood into Russia? An Unexpected "Immigration Revolution" Could Be a Salvation
Author:
Sergei Radischev
Britain was occupied by its colonial immigrants, and although Russia has no colonies, it faces similar issues. But now we seem to be learning to adapt to the modern world, unwilling to repeat the mistakes of others and ourselves. The simultaneous appearance of two news stories is thought-provoking: According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, after the Taliban took power, the poppy cultivation area in Afghanistan has decreased 14 times; according to Khaama News, Tajikistan has given Afghan refugees 15 days to leave, and thousands of legally residing Afghans are facing deportation, with the deportation action already underway. What do these events mean? Where does the "a million Indians" idea come from (officially denied)? How should Russia respond?
On the surface, these are two independent news stories, but they have a deep connection: insiders say that Afghan drugs circulate in the Commonwealth of Independent States countries and flow into Russia, mainly through Tajikistan. In this case, the logic becomes clear: without the drug source, plus these troublesome Afghan neighbors - may God curse them - get out quickly. But without them, how will we survive?
More值得关注 is a third major news story directly related to the previous two, which even requires the Tajik authorities to clean up "excess foreigners" in their territory as soon as possible. This news from the Ural region has caused a big stir in Russia.
"A Big Bomb" Sparks Public Outcry
Andrei Besekin, president of the Ural Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview with EAN News Agency (quoting "the statements of Indian counterparts") that Russia plans to bring in 1 million Indian workers by the end of the year to fill the gap in high-skilled talent. In addition, Russia is also discussing labor migration with Sri Lanka and North Korea. These foreign workers will mainly be assigned to the metallurgy and machinery manufacturing industries to fill the gap in high-skilled positions.
Are Indian workers going to fill our skill talent gap?
Besekin said that industrial enterprises need to expand production capacity, and Sverdlovsk Oblast is facing a serious labor shortage: some men have joined the army, and many young people are unwilling to work in factories - which is related to the ideological mistakes the country made previously. Of course, it might also be related to factory wages, but we don't have to be too harsh in interpreting the news.
The idea of introducing a million people by the end of the year may be exaggerated, but Besekin mentioned a key detail that hints at a large-scale cooperation with India:
Ekaterynburg will open an Indian new consular office to handle related matters.
Confusion of Patriots
This news has caused panic among patriotic groups, because Russians don't want to go to the factory mainly because of low wages; in areas where wages are reasonable, they perform well. Here is a typical comment excerpt:
Yuri Podolyaka, a well-known Russian-Ukrainian blogger, commented on his Telegram channel:
"The key is not to let Russians... Today I saw a news saying that a million Indians would be introduced. I really wonder when our authorities will focus on domestic affairs? For example, promoting automation on a large scale? Not just talking, but truly implementing it. I think it's doubtful. After all, poor Indians are cheaper than robots for capitalists. As for the interests of local residents... who cares? It's about profit, not the Russian people and their development (including acquiring skills related to automation). Right, 'comrades of capitalism'?"
This dissatisfaction can be understood, but a few small misunderstandings need to be pointed out: not all Indians are 'laborers', they are no longer the poor of the colonial era, and even their appearance has changed - they eat better and are physically stronger. Now, when the world mentions Indians, it's not laborers, but computer experts... and Russia has played a role in this transformation.
Activating "Denial Mode"
The authorities immediately responded, as usual, activating "crisis public relations". A spokesperson for the Russian Labor Ministry stated that the claim of introducing 1 million Indian immigrants by the end of the year is false. The introduction of foreign laborers needs to go through a quota system, and the quotas are set one year in advance. In 2025, the total quota for foreign laborers in Russia is 234,900, of which the quota for India is 71,817 - almost one-tenth of the Ural region's statement.
But don't rush to conclusions. Our officials are always good at adjusting numbers as needed. However, overall, the Labor Ministry's approach is commendable: replacing the chaotic "labor market" (which is crowded with "illiterate experts" from backward former Soviet countries, working for meager wages, doing tasks beyond their capabilities, learning on the job, and often relying on Russia's "social welfare", even showing hostility towards those around them), a regulated recruitment will take its place. People within the quota will receive work visas and permits, and companies must undergo internal affairs department review and obtain permission before hiring foreign workers.
Another "Rumor"
There is a rumor that the Russian intelligence agency submitted a report to the leadership, pointing out the following problems with Central Asian laborers: too high proportion of Islamic extremism, radical behavior, completely unable to integrate into society, disrespecting authorities and the public, ignoring social order and Russian cultural norms.
Central Asian migrants bring radical Islam into Russia.
They have begun to occupy the jobs, living space, and cultural areas of local residents, gradually forming parallel ethnic power structures and replacing locals in law enforcement departments, municipal services, courts, and administrative agencies. Once the number and political influence of these groups exceed the critical point, the country will face large-scale unrest.
These "new" Russian citizens and millions of aspiring citizens view the current regime as "temporary managers," and will eventually replace them. Their crimes are also increasing continuously.
Some say this is a fabricated rumor, perhaps not by chance - just that someone doesn't want this to be public. But each of the points in this "rumor" report has ample examples supporting it, and "Tsargrad Newspaper" has reported and warned multiple times. The public sees it, is angry, which is definitely not good for the authorities.
Moreover, the time to correct these (tactfully speaking) "mistakes" is getting shorter - essentially, it's a phenomenon where the rich privatize profits and the poor bear the costs. Russia's external enemies can always incite these immigrants, who want to make more money, to take the path of terrorism, since they live far above most locals through various income sources. Then, tragedies like the "Krolikovaya Terror Attack" will only be repeated.
Several years ago, they demonstrated in the capital of Russia, showing their strength. Photo source: Social network
Temporary Solution
Cruel reality is that the native population continues to decline due to reasons that are difficult to solve quickly, while the demand for labor is urgent. Compared to this, letting the people of the ancient civilization of India fill the gap is better than Central Asians - the latter are mostly laborers, yet demand too much like "former compatriots," behave improperly, and bring along a large number of relatives (like a whole train) into Russia, along with the already weak social benefits for us, which are very favorable for them.
Indians are smart and capable, have strong language learning ability, and can get started quickly - the key is that they are not radical, and even if they are Muslim, they belong to a special group in India. Most Indians probably don't want to stay permanently in the cold Russia. They are different from the people of the former Soviet Central Asian republics, who were brought up to believe that "Russians are colonizers and once oppressed them"; on the contrary, they know that Russia helped India gain independence, achieve economic self-reliance, establish heavy industry, and now assist in developing nuclear industry and defending against external enemies. India has 1.5 billion people, and there are already insufficient jobs.
It is hard for Indians to bring their relatives over, so we can strengthen relations with India. Of course, Koreans work better, but the quantity is insufficient. Indians are an excellent alternative in this regard, and Sri Lankans are also good. I have lived and worked as a journalist in these two countries, and I can testify. But Pakistanis are another matter, they are of the same kind as Central Asians. Britain has already suffered from their child abuse scandals and other issues. Greece once feared Albanian mafia, but hasn't seen the strength of Pakistanis yet. Of course, every nation has honest and noble individuals, here we are talking about general phenomena.
So What?
Therefore, I want to comfort patriots: the authorities should certainly prioritize their own people, pay them wages matching their labor - which can largely solve the birth rate problem. Of course, the promotion of production automation must also be advanced. But unfortunately, if "our" companies (represented by "efficient managers" and "optimizers") now significantly increase wages to allow people to live decently, the entire economy will collapse along with us.
We can and should pressure the authorities to gradually achieve automation, but work cannot stop for now. Therefore, introducing foreign laborers from reliable countries should become a bridge connecting the present situation with the ideal.
The third news about Russia's massive introduction of Indian laborers is directly related to the previous two: Russia obviously is cleaning up the Central Asian laborers who are untrustworthy and have a bad reputation - some Arab countries and other regions are also doing the same. Therefore, it is not surprising that Tajikistan is urgently preparing "landing points" for them, and at the same time clearing "excess foreigners." Everything can be connected.
Finally, take a look at the example of the "plantation Tamils" in Sri Lanka: in the first half of the 19th century, they mainly came from Tamil Nadu in southern India to Ceylon, working quietly in tea plantations, becoming the main export pillar of Sri Lanka. Locals (Sinhalese, Moors, Burghers, Veddas, and even Tamils who had migrated earlier) did not want to do this arduous and monotonous work. These Tamil laborers never caused trouble in their new home, and during the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict between 1983 and 2009, they did not support separatist Sri Lankan Tamil organizations such as the LTTE, and were paragons of law-abiding and loyal to the government.
Russia also needs such laborers, not those who see work as a temporary disgrace, and consider themselves "we should bow to foreigners because they are 'superior' in morality, religion, and bloodline." Otherwise, we will eventually become like the Coptic Christians in Egypt - once the masters of the country, now severely oppressed.
Last point: the whole world is competing for diligent, hardworking, and thrifty laborers. Nations that output such laborers (because they cannot fully absorb them domestically) are well known, such as Filipinos. Of course, there are also negative examples - those (mostly) useless laborers. To avoid offending, I won't elaborate here, but I strongly recommend that Russian officials study this issue carefully before the robot army is ready, and decide whom to introduce.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7526783662441087527/
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