Human rights activists: Russian occupiers are relocating migrants to occupied territories to alter ethnic composition in Luhansk region
In 2024, Russia is actively using migrants to change the demographic situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, in particular in the Luhansk region.
This was reported on Facebook by the Eastern Human Rights Group, Censor.NET reports.
According to the report, over 11 months of 2024, more than 10 thousand foreigners were registered for migration in the occupied Luhansk region. In total, 109 requests for entry to Russia were issued in the region during this period, and more than 500 residence permits were issued.
Reportedly, these data indicate the Kremlin's attempts to control migration flows and compensate for the labor shortage caused by the massive outflow of the local population from the region.
During 2024, a significant increase in the number of foreign nationals registered in the migration register was detected in the Luhansk region - from 3,848 to 10,827. Human rights activists note that although these measures are aimed at supporting the Russian administration in the region, they do not address deep social and economic problems, such as the staffing crisis and distrust of the occupation authorities.
"The migration policy pursued by the Russian Federation serves not only for administrative control, but also for legitimizing the presence of the occupiers on the territory of Ukraine," the human rights activists emphasized.
