DUSHANBE, August 12, 2013, Asia-Plus – Seven of ten Tajik nationals being held in Moscow’s Golyanovo tent camp for illegal migrants have been transferred to the Moscow police-run special detention center for foreign citizens, Mohammad Egamzod, an official representative of the Tajik Embassy in Moscow, told Asia-plus today.

According to him, he has visited the tent camp before transferring those seven Tajik nationals to the Moscow police-run detention center.

“Our nationals admitted they had violated Russia’s migration legislation; some of them have failed to register within a week on their arrival in Russia while others do not have work permit,” Egamzod said.

He noted that no one of Tajik nationals being held in the tent camp complained about their health conditions.  “Their one and only wish is to return home as soon as possible,” said Egamzod.  “The necessary personal care items, foods and light shoes have been given to them on behalf of the Tajik Embassy.”

“Representative of the Tajik Embassy in Moscow is expected to meet with senior representatives of the Moscow police-run detention center for foreign citizens on Tuesday to discuss issues related to returning our nationals to Tajikistan,” Egamzod said, adding that to-date, some 300 illegal migrants from different countries have been left in the Golyanovo tent camp.

We will recall that more than 600 immigrants from different countries have been forced into the Golyanovo tent camp in early August to await deportation.  Radio Liberty reports that a first group of 31 illegal migrants, all from Vietnam, were deported home on August 10.

Russian politician Sergei Mitrokhin, the Yabloko party candidate for Moscow mayor, describes the recent roundup of hundreds of migrants as a "PR campaign" ahead of regional elections on September 8.