Human rights defenders demand to stop "anti-migrant hysteria" in Russia

Leaders of several major human rights organizations appealed to representatives of the Russian intelligentsia and urged them to oppose the campaign against illegal immigrants spread in the country. The policy of the authorities was called the "anti-migrant hysteria."

"Our society is being drawn into such impenetrable depths of hatred that can turn into a civil war. The situation in the country is so explosive that it is enough to strike a match, and the 'match' can be inter-ethnic relations the most flammable material. The authorities use xenophobia brought up by them in population to shift protests from themselves on the 'enemy number one' migrants. The authorities are cynically manipulating with public opinion," the appeal states.

The appeal was signed by Lyudmila Alekseeva (Moscow Helsinki Group), Svetlana Gannushkina (Committee "Civil Assistance"), Lydia Grafova ("Forum of Migrants' Organizations"), Sergey Kovalev (Sakharov Centre), and Arseny Roginsky (International Organization "Memorial").