The Russian-language BB editorial exposed a practice in which Russia recruits migrants detained at the Finnish border to fight in Ukraine.
According to the BBC, Russian authorities are encouraging migrants trying to come to Finland to stay in Russia and then send them to fight in the war in Ukraine.
According to the station’s findings, migrants unknowingly signed Russian-language contracts containing terms they did not understand. The agreements stipulate that the signatory must work for Russia for a year, after which he has the right to remain in the country.
War contract
In practice, ‘work’ consists of fighting on the front lines in Ukraine. Journalists interviewed a Somali who claimed to have signed such an agreement. He revealed that his group included five other Somalis, five Arabs and one Cuban. Everyone had to sign the document.
Human rights activists say they have also heard reports that migrants heading to Finland are being recruited into the Russian army.
A Somali national interviewed by the BBC recalls the case of an Iraqi national who was detained by Russia after his visa expired. Apparently the Iraqi had the choice to either become a mercenary for Russia or return to Iraq, where he was sentenced to death.
It is not known what he did. According to a Somali man interviewed by the BBC, Russian police arrested him in November in the Karelian town of Lakhdienpokhya, near the border with Finland. He then spent five days in pre-trial detention, where pressure was put on him to sign an agreement with Russian authorities.
Participation in the war? This is not talked about
According to the station’s interlocutor, the people who signed the agreement were later taken to a military camp near the border with Ukraine. The men were told that their contract would last one year. They were promised good education, pay and comprehensive health care.
– However, we were not told anything about Ukraine and the war. It was all a lie, the Somali migrant said.
He added that the migrants arrived at the camp on November 27. The next day they refused to honor the signed contracts, so the Russians began rationing their food and threatened them with 10 years in prison. On December 4, he was informed of the termination of his employment contract and his return to pre-trial detention. He noted that a similar message was given to four other migrants who arrived at the camp with him. The fate of seven people is still unknown.
Ukrainian authorities have reported the death or detention of people from many different countries fighting alongside Russia in the war that has been going on since February 24, 2022. According to the BBC, Ukrainian officials have identified mercenaries from Nepal, Zambia, Iraq, Estonia, Tajikistan and Somalia.
Source: Do Rzeczy
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
