Russia enlists Central Asian migrants, Belarus mandates youth military camps

Human rights groups and independent media report that Russian authorities are covertly conscripting foreign nationals, mainly from Central Asia, by hiding army contracts within Russian‑language migration paperwork. Migrants are summoned to centres such as the Sacharovo migration hub, pressured with threats of deportation and language barriers, and forced to sign a military service obligation. The 2024 law requires any foreign‑passport holder in Russia to register for service or face expulsion. An example cited by Al Jazeera involves Tajik courier Hushruzjon Salohidinov, who was detained in Saint Petersburg and coerced into frontline duty. Estimates suggest 10,000‑20,000 Central Asian citizens have been sent to the Ukrainian front each year.

In Belarus, documents obtained by the opposition group BELPOL reveal a plan to introduce mandatory multi‑day military‑patriotic camps for high‑school students nationwide. The program, modeled on Russia’s JunArmia youth force, would become part of the school curriculum and include weapons handling, drill, first‑aid training and ideological instruction. The initiative is part of an accelerated militarisation of Belarusian society following the 2020 protests and Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, aiming to shape future reserves for the armed forces.