Immigration in Eurasia - Incentives and Dangers

The Eurasia Center/EBC, January 24, 2013

By Daniel Hrebenak

Throughout the world Immigration is a controversial phenomenon: for some it is the act of seeking new and better opportunities, while others view it as a threat to national and economic stability. Needless to say, illegal immigration can often result in bloodshed. The Southern border of Iran is one of stages upon which the drama of illegal immigration is set. Ganj, a way station of sorts located near the border between Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, is where many illegal immigrants from Afghanistan begin their treacherous journey into Southern Iran.[1] Some long to continue through Iran in hopes of reaching Turkey, Greece or even Western Europe in pursuit of work to sustain themselves and their families back home. Others are more modest, seeking only to enter Iran to work as unskilled laborers in construction or agriculture. The journey is one of the most dangerous of its type in the world. The lawless border near Ganj is riddled with landmines and the Iranian government has been cracking down on smugglers helping illegal immigrants enter the country, making the methods of illegal immigration increasingly shoddy and susceptible to utter failure. In late December, more than a dozen Afghan citizens were executed in Iran after entering the country illegally through the Islam Qala dry port in Herat and Nimroz.[2] Upon reaching the city of Tehran, they were detained and subsequently executed. Iranian officials have refused to transfer the bodies back to their families in Afghanistan, despite appeals by the Afghan government. The extradition treaty that Kabul and Tehran signed has yet to be enforced by Iran, who continues to limit the rights of Afghan refugees by many means including denying them the right to work. Foreign Minister Zalmai Rasul has said that three million Afghans, only half of whom have documentation like passports and visas, are currently living in Iran.[3] Despite the unique relevance of geographical location, the plight of the Afghan immigrant is shared by many others in the Middle East, South East Asia and the Eurasian plateau.

While reaching nowhere near a level of severity as the penalties imposed on those who illegally immigrate into Iran, Russia has recently toughened its illegal immigration laws. The Russian Federal Security Service’s Border Service reported in 2010 a large increase in the number of immigrants coming from both the Middle East and Southeast Asia, a significant portion emigrating from Afghanistan.[4] Even more immigrants are coming from former-Soviet states like Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and others. For illegal immigrants traveling to Russia, the crime can now warrant a fine of up to 300,000 rubles ($9,800), 420 hours of compulsory community services and even up to five years in prison.[5] For organized groups attempting to profit off smuggling immigrants into the country the sentence can be up to seven years in prison. Despite such increases in penalties, the number of crimes linked to illegal immigration and organizations facilitating it continue to grow in the country. However, there is a certain duplicity to Russia’s stance on immigration that makes it seem more similar to the US than one might expect. Russia’s economy has often relied on low-cost labor intensive workers that emigrate from other countries, whether it is in agriculture, construction or other unskilled positions. In 2010 the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reported that 960,000 temporary labor migrants legally entered Russia (the majority coming from Kyrgyzstan), and this number has continued to increase.[6] These laborers satisfy a demand for inexpensive labor in markets that are growing and supporting Russia’s economy. This is where the dilemma of the immigrant comes into play. While Russia strengthens its illegal immigration laws, it continues to incentivize the immigration of unskilled laborers into the country. This demand exceeds the number of legal immigrants that can enter the country, thus creating a sizeable illegal immigrant population that will break these international laws despite the threat of severe fines or even imprisonment.

Anti-Immigration sentiment is on the rise in Greece; a phenomenon represented by the Greek nativist movement “Golden Dawn.”[7] Golden Dawn has become notorious for public displays of violence, including slapping down representatives of the opposition on live television. The “neo-Nazi” group is in the news again for attacking a military base where the Greek military is detaining immigrants under the Xenios Zeus program. The program is meant to battle illegal immigration by allowing the police to sweep the streets of Greece’s city for individuals without proof of citizenship or visas.[8] The Golden Dawn protest is an example of the movements rising popularity, a trend that is dismaying to government officials and leftist political activists alike. However, Golden Dawn’s protests are not the only instances of violence against immigrants in Greece. Last November and Egyptian immigrant was apparently beaten for 18 hours by an employer before being arrested and detained by the police, who refused to let him see a physician for treatment.[9] The brutal event precipitated after the Egyptian man gave his two weeks’ notice and asked his employer at a local bakery on the island of Salamina for his pay, which had not been given to him for 2 months. His employer, who was outraged, proceeded to beat him, tie him up and take him to a barn where he told the man he “would die and be buried.” After the Egyptian man escaped, he was arrested by the police who threatened to deport him. Only after hours of interrogation did the police pursue the man’s employer, who was arrested but released on bail immediately afterward. This dramatic chain of events is but one example of the rise of anti-immigration sentiment in Greece. Italy has experienced a similar phenomenon. In global survey meant to compare attitudes among the populations of different nations, 73% of Italians considered Immigration as having a “bad” impact on the country, which was almost double the percentage of anti-immigration sentiment of every other country (Britain was 2nd with 48%).[10] This anti-immigration sentiment was accompanied by strong claims of cultural superiority and a cohesive/exclusive nationalist sentiment. The 2007 Pew Poll, a precursor to this statistic, showed that 64% of Italians interviewed considered immigration to be one of the biggest issues faced by the Italian people and government.

The number of immigrants, both legal and illegal, will continue to increase as long as job markets incentivize them to enter the countries. The main conflict here is that these companies that want to employ low-cost, unskilled labor are completely detached and uninterested in the opinions and actions of the governments that try prevent illegal immigration and curb legal immigration or the nativist movements that violently oppose immigration. This detachment is where the dilemma of immigration lies. As long as this cycle of incentivization and repression continues, the ones who will endure the brunt of frustration and violence will continue to be the immigrants, especially the illegals, who are subject to the whims of public protest and government legislation. Though economic stress may be put on countries like Russia, Greece and Italy by the increases in immigration in recent decades, violence is an ineffective response. Removing the incentives for immigration will end immigration itself, which is something nativist movements like Golden Dawn seem to ignore.

[1] New York Times, The Scariest Little Corner of the World, 10/08/12 (

[2] The Frontier Post, Iran refuses to hand over Afghan Corpses, 12/26/12 (

[3] The Frontier Post, Iran refuses to hand over Afghan Corpses, 12/26/12

[4] Expressindia.com, Russia reports surge in illegal migration from Asia, 5/26/10 (

[5] Rapsi News, Russia’s upper house toughens illegal migration law, 12/26/12 (

[6] En.rian.ru, Russia Leads World on Illegal Immigration - OECD, 06/28/12 (

[7] Businessinsider.com, Anti-Immigration Sentiment in Greece is Growing Steadily Worse, 9/1/12 (

[8] Athensnews.gr, “Xenios Zeus” Campaign Continues, 8/6/12 (

[9] Rawstory.com, Egyptian man beaten as anti-immigrant wave hits Greece, 11/13/12 (

[10] Italianthro.blogspot.com, Anti-Immigration and Pro-Italy, 9/29/11 (