A worker who contacted Kun.uz said the incident occurred on July 27 at a construction site in the Russian capital. According to the witness, officers believed to be conducting a migration enforcement raid arrived while employees were carrying out their regular duties.
The witness said the officers gathered all migrant workers in one place. Most were citizens of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Before checking anyone's identity or migration documents, the officers allegedly ordered the workers to move while kneeling.
"Only afterwards were our documents inspected. Everyone who had been forced to kneel had valid papers. No explanation was given for why we were treated that way. We believe they were officers from Russia's migration service," the source told Kun.uz.
The raid reportedly took place during working hours, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. According to the witness, the workers were distressed by the treatment despite having all the required documentation.
"This was nothing but humiliation. We had done nothing wrong," the source said.
Similar incidents were reported last year, when Russian law enforcement agencies carried out raids targeting migrant workers in Moscow and St. Petersburg. During those operations, migrants also alleged they had been subjected to verbal abuse and excessive use of force.
Following those incidents, Uzbekistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a diplomatic note to Russia's Foreign Ministry. Responding at the time, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow was carefully reviewing the information provided by the Uzbek side and would forward the request to the relevant authorities.
