The campaign struck a chord with voters.
MOSCOW – Russian nationalists have joined forces to form a political party that will campaign for tougher limits on immigration, one of the new party’s leaders said on Monday.
There is widespread resentment towards the millions of migrant workers in Russia, but the Kremlin has stamped out previous attempts by nationalist groups outside its control to turn that sentiment into votes.
The new party, called Great Russia, held its inaugural congress at the weekend and said its aim was to win seats in parliament at an election in December.
Its founders include a campaign group called the Movement Against Illegal Immigration and Dmitry Rogozin, a member of parliament who until last year led the nationalist Rodina (Motherland) faction in parliament. He told Reuters the new party would promote patriotic ideas, including ‘the restoration of Russia’s status as the equal to other world powers’.
Rogozin said the party’s stand on immigration was that ‘we want immigrants but those who are skilled workers and who will assimilate more easily … And of course we are against illegal immigration.’
Russia has seen a huge influx of immigrants – many of them from Muslim ex-Soviet republics like Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan – seeking work in its booming economy.
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