By Vestnik Kavkaza
Growing tensions in relations between the local population and migrants, both internal and external, have become the norm in recent years. Numerous inter-ethnic incidents in Russia made experts say that the authorities inspired such conflicts to deflect public attention away from urgent socio-economic problems. Russian top officials tried to prove that it wasn’t so at the session of the Inter-Ethnic Problem Council, which took place on October 22 in Ufa.
To maintain cultural heritage and support ethnic, cultural and religious diversity the Strategy of State Ethnic Policy to 2025 was developed in December 2012. The so called targeted method of financing regional programs was implemented for settlement of ethnic problems for the first time.
Vladimir Putin thinks that regional and municipal authorities should provide the fulfillment of the Strategy, considering the peculiarities of their territories. “The work is going on slowly: only nine regions have a schedule of realization of the Federal Strategy. And it concerns only schedules, first urgent measures; and if we analyze certain work, the picture will be even worse. As for their own strategic documents, 21 regions of the Russian Federation have adopted them. However, many of the documents are outdated,” President said.
He thinks that inter-ethnic relations are one of the most important, difficult and sensitive problems: “Inter-ethnic conflicts are born in places where they should be timely prevented. Unfortunately, local authorities often prefer working in office; it is useless, if people cannot reach their leaders. For example, in Biryulyovo residents’ indignation had been accumulating for years. There were requests to the police, to the local administration, to the district administration. Why do we need the authorities who don’t want to know truth, listen to people and take adequate measures? It leads to heavy conflicts, including in the ethnic and religious spheres, people try to solve the conflicts by illegal methods. Violation of migration laws and committing crimes by migrants are unacceptable as well… Every territory, market or house is a sphere of responsibility of a certain person, a certain head, an owner of an enterprise, or an official. It is unacceptable to reject the responsibility.”
Recently Russia adopted a law on defining functions of regional and municipal authorities and their responsibility for inter-ethnic conflicts. It even requires the dismissal of heads who couldn’t prevent conflict.
“Often such conflicts occur as domestic and the clashes between representatives of different nations are used by extremists, radical groups, certain people to stir up inter-ethnic tension and to achieve their mean political goals. The mass media and internet communities often promote the nationalist version and help those who want to spread ethnic interpretation of a conflict, and thus, they worsen the situation,” Putin believes.
He is sure that the majority of these conflicts could be prevented, if local authorities listened to requests and opinions of people, and settle problems in a timely and fair way. “Emergency” measures on fighting against inter-ethnic conflicts are ineffective.
Putin suggested establishing a system of inter-ethnic relations monitoring, risk assessment, preventive measures of possible conflicts. President suggested paying special attention to human resources. “Positions of deputy heads of regions, who are responsible for inter-ethnic relations, should be taken by people who know acute information, are able to form a group of professional managers, are able to establish a direct dialogue with people and social organizations. It demands unique personal and deep professional skills.”
Usage of cheap labour of migrants was called by Putin “belch of wild capitalism.” President admitted that problems of adaptation and integration of migrants are being solved by the Federal Migration Service and the Ministry of Regional Development, but there are few positive changes. He suggested development of labour cards which define necessities of regions in extra labour force; but the main attention should be paid to social adaptation of migrants.
According to Putin, the problem of inter-ethnic relations is acute not only to Russia, but also Europe and America, and so on: “Some of our European colleagues say that their ethnic policy has failed in the last decade. We cannot admit this because our country is multinational… Our Muslims are citizens of Russia, they have no other motherland. And we can say it about all peoples who live in the Russian Federation. We have either problems or advantages… Today we deal with the inability or unwillingness to make right decisions. Previously we lived in one common state and there were no borders. Today the borders appeared, as different countries appeared. We have the visa-free regime. The question is whether it will be better, if we launch the visa regime.”
