RFE/RL: Krasnodar assembly speaker on migration policy in Russia

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Subject: RFE/RL: Krasnodar assembly speaker on migration policy in Russia

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RFE/RL: Krasnodar assembly speaker on migration policy in
Russia


RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL Russian Federation Report
Vol. 3, No. 5, 31 January 2001

A Survey of Developments in the Regions Outside Moscow
Prepared by the Staff of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

......................

 
REGIONAL VOICES
 
Vladimir Beketov, chairman of the legislative assembly of Krasnodar
Krai, on migration policy in Russia:
 
"We have laws but actually they do not successfully manage the
situation. And as a result it is not a country but a revolving
[prokhodnoi] door. Under these circumstances external forces always
find a way to destabilize the situation in a strategically important
region of Russia, the south, and drive us back from the Black Sea and
deprive us of the most important ports and bases, resorts, etc. It is
already obvious, who, which foreign centers, underwrite the conflict
in Chechnya. It is possible to suggest that certain Islamic centers,
or more exactly, extremists and separatists, for whom Islam is only a
cover, are fostering the conditions for the development of such events
in the Kuban.

"And already there is confirmation [of this]. For example, the
Meskhetian Turks settled down at the entrance to [the port of]
Novorosiisk, which is strategically important for all of the Kuban.
Right next to it are railway tunnels and major oil and gas pipelines.
[They are coming here] not just for the remarkable climate.
Characteristically, one of the governments of a neighboring country is
actively helping these emigrants to firmly consolidate their hold over
this place, giving them vegetables, fruit and other goods. The
government of Russia somehow once decided to provide help to these
emigrants returning to their historic homeland. And what of that? Only
some 30 families have moved. They buy their home with federal money.
They leave, then soon they return to the Kuban. They take in their
many relatives and legally and illegally undertake the construction of
new housing. They have large families; 10-12 children is the norm. And
the Slavic population is decreasing. In many villages for every
thousand newborns already 500 of them are Turks.

"The [social sphere of the krai] is overburdened. We do not have
enough places in schools, kindergartens, and hospitals. Unemployment
is growing. And that is feeding crime. It is no secret that migrants
inclined toward trade in weapons and narcotics. But the krai's budget
is not the main problem. The chief problem is the future of the
country, its unity. Of course, this situation is being controlled, but
if all migrants are given registration for a place to live - and they
are demanding this more insistently - then everything will become even
more unpredictable. These Meskhetian Turks will certainly get hold of
the real levers of power and head the local organs of self-rule. What
then? Welcome to the Islamic Republic of the Kuban?"
 
Source: "Parlamentskaya gazeta" 27 January 2001

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***********************************************
Copyright (c) 2001. RFE/RL, Inc. All rights reserved.
 
"RFE/RL Russian Federation Report" is prepared by Julie
A. Corwin (JAC) on the basis of a variety of sources,
including reporting by "RFE/RL Newsline" and RFE/RL's
broadcast services. Contributors are Liz Fuller (LF) and
Paul Goble (PG). It is distributed every Wednesday.
 
Direct comments to Julie A. Corwin at [email protected].
For information on subscriptions or reprints, contact
Paul Goble in Washington at (202) 457-6947 or at
[email protected]. Back issues are online at
http://www.rferl.org/russianreport
 
Technical queries should be e-mailed to:
[email protected]
 
For information on subscriptions or reprints, contact
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[email protected]. Back issues are online at
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