World press on Moscow mayoral campaign (August 13, 2013)

Le Monde published an article devoted to the ongoing mayoral campaign in Moscow. In an article headlined " Les immigrés font les frais de la campagne pour Moscou" (The burden of the Moscow campaign is placed on migrants") Marie Jégo writes that migration has become the most acute topic during the mayoral campaign.

"I am deeply concerned about migration," Jégo cites opposition candidate Alexey Navalny as saying. He also calls for a strict visa regime with the republics of Central Asia, the correspondent informs.

Incumbent Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has also focused on the issue of labour migrants. The law-enforcement agencies have already detained 4 thousand people. 700 of them (mainly Vietnamese) have been placed in a special camp, where they will await deportation, the article reads.

It's well-known that all the hard work in Moscow is done by migrants from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Their living conditions are unbearable, officials embezzle the greatest part of their income and the society hates them, Marie Jégo writes.

By putting so much emphasis on the issue, Navalny is becoming more and more popular, she believes. The correspondent attended one of Navalny's meeting with Moscow residents and found that people were very sympathetic to his ideas.

"I've been to Paris and I wouldn't like it if Moscow became as full of foreigners as France," Jégo cites an old lady, who also attended the event, as saying.