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Russia Leads in Discrimination Complaints From Indian Students Amid Growing Labor Shortages
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russia’s tightening migration policies and worsening labor shortages are pushing employers to recruit workers from increasingly distant countries, including India. Yet many Indian nationals in Russia report facing discrimination, exploitation, and widespread mistreatment, according to complaints documented by Indian diplomatic missions, The Moscow Times reported on February 10.
Indian citizens have traveled to Russia for decades—dating back to the Soviet era—particularly to study medicine, engineering, and other technical fields. As of 2024, more than 31,000 Indian students were enrolled in Russian educational institutions.
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However, Indian diplomatic officials recorded over 200 complaints from students in Russia last year alone, ranging from labor exploitation to racial discrimination, the Indian broadcaster NDTV reported. The figure represents the highest number of grievances filed in any of the 196 countries tracked by India’s foreign ministry.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh said total global complaints from Indian students exceeded 350, meaning roughly 57% were linked to Russia. Of those, 196 cases were registered by India’s embassy in Moscow and five more by the consulate in St. Petersburg.
🇮🇳🇷🇺Four Indians injued in a knife attack in Russia.
— ARIKA🇮🇳🚩 (@nidhisj2001) February 8, 2026
15-yr-old, Alexander S. went on a knife rampage at a university dorm, stabbing students and injuring 8 people, including 4 Indian students in Ufa, sports hall of a foreign students' hostel at a University in Russia's… pic.twitter.com/QvteILbIau
The surge marks a threefold increase compared with 2023, when only 66 complaints were recorded in Russia.
By comparison, France logged just 97 complaints over four years, highlighting the disproportionate scale of grievances associated with Russia.
The data underscores growing concerns about conditions faced by foreign students and migrant workers in Russia at a time when the country is increasingly reliant on overseas labor to offset domestic workforce shortages.
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Recent information suggests that Russia is turning to India to help fill a deepening labor shortage, with officials expecting tens of thousands of Indian workers to arrive in 2026.
Russia’s special representative for sustainable development, Boris Titov, said that at least 40,000 Indian citizens were expected to come as workers in 2026.
Earlier, reports emerged that Russian companies were preparing to recruit migrant workers from Nepal, Vietnam, and Bangladesh to offset a worsening labor shortage.
