Special Coverage

Crisis Group experts contribute their views on how the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent “war on terror” shaped the conflicts and crises they work on.

As migration increases, European nations are fine-tuning their asylum and resettlement policies, including toward the Russian Muslims who have been heading west for decades. These countries should continue enhancing information for migrants and community policing to make sure that stereotypes stay out of their decisions.

Georgia, once a favourite destination for Muslims leaving Russia, has tightened its border controls of late in response to security concerns. Tbilisi should review these policies to make sure they do not undermine the open society it has been building for the last three decades. 

Tens of thousands of Muslim migrants from Russia have come to Turkey of late. Due partly to security concerns, they are more isolated than the generations who arrived previously. Ankara should reach out to better integrate the newcomers, particularly by enrolling their children in school.

Muslims from Russia have long sought better lives in Ukraine. Fears of Islamist militancy and crime have lately made asylum unduly difficult to obtain. Kyiv should make sure its procedures are fair and double-check extradition requests it gets from Moscow.

This week on War & Peace, Olga Oliker and Hugh Pope talk to University of Ottawa professor Jean-François Ratelle about the diverse Russian-origin Muslim diaspora across Europe, the various challenges faced in transit and host countries, and how to adapt migration policies accordingly.

Hundreds of thousands of Muslims have left their homes in Russia since the 1990s, many fleeing war or persecution. Their welcome abroad has chilled lately due to security concerns. These worries are legitimate, but states should not let them define policy toward this diverse diaspora.