Russia: Information on the current situation and treatment of Tatars outside of Tatastan particularly in the Republic of Komi
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 February 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | RUS16514.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Russia: Information on the current situation and treatment of Tatars outside of Tatastan particularly in the Republic of Komi, 1 February 1994, RUS16514.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aaec3f.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to a researcher with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Munich, Tatars in the Komi Republic are not subject to government discrimination or repression (15 Feb. 1994). This source notes, however, that in some cases Tatars in Komi do suffer discrimination from other ethnic groups, especially in the area of employment (ibid.). The Tatars represent less than one per cent of the population in Komi, a republic dominated primarily by Russians and Bashkirs (ibid.).
A source at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles stated that to her knowledge, there is no official policy favoring one ethnic group over another in the Komi Republic, but Tatars' attempts to satisfy their cultural needs such as creating community chapters generally are not approved of by the government or larger population (ibid.).
For additional information on the treatment of Tatars outside of Tatarstan, please refer to Response to Information Request RUS16291 of 21 January 1994, which covers the current situation of Tatars in the Republic of Bashkiria, and to the attached articles "Nationality Education Policy in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union" and "The Tatars and Bashkirs after Glasnost." Also attached please find a section on the Tatars from the World Directory of Minorities which might be of use. This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Professor specializing in Russian affairs at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. 14 February 1994. Telephone interview.
Researcher with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Munich. 15 February 1994. Telephone interview.
Attachments
Journal Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs [London]. July 1989. Vol. 10, No. 2. Audrey L. Altstadt. "Nationality Education Policy in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union", pp. 450-463.
. July 1989. Vol. 10, No. 2. Nadir Devlet. "The Tatars and Bashkirs After Glasnost", pp. 464-474.
World Directory of Minorities. 1990. London: Longman Group UK Ltd, pp. 168-69.
