‘You Are Not Needed Here’

Abstract

The aim of this paper is not to expand the argument that racism is a problem particular to Russia but to examine the transformation in the discrimination experienced by African migrants in Russia and their coping strategies. Using 32 in-depth interviews and an analysis of informal conversations with sub-Saharan African migrants in Moscow describing their experiences within the social and economic spheres of the country, the paper demonstrates the subtleness and implicit nature of racial discrimination that sub-Saharan African migrants experience in their social spaces, such as using the transport system and getting accommodation, and also within the economic sector. There is an overall feeling of being unwelcome that the African migrants perceive from the treatment received from their host community. The paper contributes to the global perspective of understanding the coping strategies used by African migrants to deal with their socio-economic conundrum in Russia.