Russia's Racist Crackdown on Immigrants

Enforcing Russia's migrant quotas. 15 January, 2007 By James Rodgers BBC News, Moscow

Russian police are raiding the country's markets. They are enforcing quotas on the number of foreigners working in the retail trade - new laws limit that to 40%. That is just for now. By the end of the year, there are not supposed to be any. The building supplies market in a far-flung northern suburb of Moscow is the target of an ongoing operation.

The officers pile out of a bus and get to work. They split up into pairs and fan out among the shops and stalls. They seem pretty clear what they are looking for: anyone whose appearance suggests they might come from the Caucasus, Central Asia, or further afield. The process looks pretty simple. If you are not white, they would like to see your documents.

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