Ethnic crime - a threat to the national security of Russia and other countries
One of the most serious problems of the modern world in general and in Russia in particular is the growth of crime, which is closely related not only to the socio-economic conditions of life in specific countries and regions, but also to migration processes. Of course, migration, especially uncontrolled and illegal, is fueling the rise in crime. Being a consequence of globalization processes, mass migration of the population brings not only positive consequences in the form of filling out “empty” positions on labor markets or solving demographic problems, but also a lot of negative trends. Moreover, the latter, according to a number of researchers and public figures, are able to outweigh the positive effects of migration processes.
The increase in crime is one of the primary consequences of migration and is primarily due to the social, psychological and sociocultural characteristics of the migrant environment. First, the majority of migrants are young (or relatively young) able-bodied men aged 18-40 years, who, on the one hand, are not deprived of a certain desire to improve their well-being (just went to other countries and regions in search of work, “Better share”), but on the other hand, most of them do not have a high level of education and qualifications, or are forced to work outside their specialty. In the receiving society, migrants initially occupy the lowest level of the social hierarchy, and the extent to which they can satisfy their ambitions and improve their status depends above all on the improvement of their material well-being. Secondly, a significant proportion of migrants arrive in host countries from economically more backward and fundamentally different states and regions culturally.
Thus, in the modern world, the main vectors of migration processes are observed from East to West and from South to North. Migrants come to Europe from countries in Asia and Africa, very often coming from traditional societies, the very way of life of which brings with it cardinal differences from the way of life in the host countries of European culture. As for the Russian Federation, there is about the same picture. Although the main sources of migration are the former Soviet republics of Central Asia and Transcaucasia, we must not forget that in these countries whole generations of citizens have grown up who practically do not speak Russian, are not familiar with the customs and way of life of the Russian and, more broadly, Europeanized population . Naturally, upon the arrival of migrants into the territory of the Russian Federation, a number of problems arise in the sphere of their social and, not less important, cultural adaptation to the living conditions in a foreign country. Of course, the majority of migrants are good and law-abiding people, however, it is not a discovery that some migrants take the path of criminal activities, both street and domestic crime, and the creation of organized criminal communities that control entire areas of criminal business.
Unfortunately, some attempts to adjust the state policy in the field of migration management are undertaken by the country's authorities only in recent years. So, from January 1 2015, migrants entering Russia will have to undergo testing for knowledge of the Russian language, stories and the foundations of the legislation of the Russian Federation. The measure is certainly necessary and interesting, especially if reliable protection against corruption is created. However, the question of measures to counter the crime of migrants, as well as people from migrant backgrounds who have received Russian citizenship, remains open. Scientists - sociologists and criminologists, and specialists - practitioners from Russian law enforcement agencies pay attention to him.
In recent years, there have been many discussions about whether there is “ethnic crime” or “crime has no nationality”. Moreover, it is significant that, as a rule, the second point of view is defended, besides the leaders of migrant organizations and national diasporas, or public figures, human rights activists, or journalists of the liberal media, or politically engaged sociologists. The first point of view, in turn, is confirmed not only in the speeches and interviews of high-ranking law enforcement officers, but also in the works of Russian scientists. And not only domestic ones - both the modern sociologists and criminologists, and the classics of world criminology, wrote a lot about the fact of the influence of the national mentality, certain traditions and customs on the possible criminal behavior of a person or groups of individuals.
Italian criminologists about crime factors
In this context, the conclusions drawn by the representatives of the Italian School of Criminology in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries are especially interesting to us. Immediately, we note that the Italian School of Criminology does not have any single concept, therefore we understand the totality of the views of philosophers, sociologists and criminologists who lived and worked on the territory of modern Italy and studied, first of all, Italian society. Probably the most famous among them is Cesare Lombroso with his famous anthropological concept. In the Soviet period of national history, the ideas of Lombroso (“Lombrosianism”) were severely criticized as racist and anti-scientific. Indeed, in some places, Lombroso, as they say, “went too far” when he spoke of the total propensity to commit crimes of representatives of certain races or nationalities and, moreover, physiological types. But, we must pay tribute to him, it was Lombroso who was one of the first in European criminology who thought about the influence of ethnic factors on the criminal behavior of an individual.
Another famous Italian sociologist Filippo Turatti, the former and one of the leaders of the socialist party in the country, on the contrary, in the spirit of Marxist philosophy, concluded that crime in modern society is determined by social factors. First of all, this is class inequality and social polarization of society. Representatives of the oppressed classes are much more prone to committing crimes, because they are pushed to their plight by the economic situation, as well as by a number of other factors, including the inability to get a full-fledged education, low cultural level, and the lack of appropriate education.
Economic factors influencing the criminal behavior of an individual were promoted to paramount positions by another sociologist and criminologist Napoleon Colaianni. According to Kolayanni, poverty is the most important source of crime. The deterioration of the economic situation determines the growth of criminal behavior at both personal and social levels. Of particular importance, in this case, has a social polarization of society. When the incomes of one part of the population many times exceed the incomes of the other part of the population, serious social contradictions arise. The lower classes of society, who do not have the opportunity to live at a high level, nevertheless want to secure at least some material well-being for themselves, and therefore they embark on the criminal path.
Finally, the
Enrico Ferri put forward his own concept, including classifying the main causes of criminal behavior. To some extent, this concept was a compromise between anthropological and social concepts, as Ferri allowed the possibility of three causes of criminal behavior of an individual - individual, physical and social. Each criminal has the influence of natural characteristics - gender, race, age, individual characteristics - character, worldview, mental development and social characteristics - position in society, profession, level of education. Unlike Lombroso, who, paying attention to ethnic factors in the formation of criminal behavior, stopped in more detail just on racial and anthropological features, E. Ferry tried to sum up a solid empirical basis for his calculations. So, he turned to the study of the contemporary Italian mafia. It is known that the latter was the most powerful in the southern regions of Italy. First of all - on the island of Sicily and in Calabria.
Accordingly, it was necessary to explain why precisely the representatives of a certain subethnos of the Italian nation turned out to be most inclined towards organized crime, the formation of mafia communities. Enrique Ferri concluded that this specific behavior of the inhabitants of southern Italy is explained by the influence that the traditions of the peoples of the North African region located across the Mediterranean Sea had on the region for centuries. The spread of murders on the island of Sicily Ferri directly deduced from this influence, while emphasizing that the crime rate in those regions of southern Italy in which the Greek component was stronger, was significantly lower (Ferry E. Criminal sociology. M., 1908).
In the modern world, the influence of social and ethnocultural factors on the growth of crime is difficult to dispute. The phenomenon of "ethnic crime", about which there are numerous disputes, most actively manifests itself in large cities. The social space itself of a modern large city becomes a favorable environment for the manifestation of all forms of criminal behavior. Among the manifestations of this favorable environment in large cities is the emergence of “enclaves” and “ghettos” populated by migrants and social lows. In these "enclaves" youth crime is formed, street gangs are created, which can later be transformed into various manifestations of organized crime.
Archaic, tradition and crime
One of the most important sources of organized crime in the migrant environment is undoubtedly the factor of influence of the specific way of life of traditional societies, which differs from the urbanized way of life of modern European countries, including Russia, that we are used to. First of all, it should be noted that when they find themselves in a new and alien social environment, migrants can demonstrate dramatic changes in the fundamental characteristics of their behavior. First of all, we are talking about the demonstration of criminal and illegal behavior by those people who have never shown criminal inclinations in their homeland. Many countries and regions from which labor migrants arrive differ by an order of magnitude lower level of common crime than host developed societies. This is due to the fact that in traditional societies more informal control over the behavior of its members. To commit a criminal act there simply will not give, and if it is still done, the punishment will become inevitable and will follow not only from law enforcement agencies, but also from the social environment. It is not by chance that the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation draws attention to a lower level of common crime in the same North Caucasian republics (Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. The state of law and order in the Russian Federation and the main results of the activities of internal affairs bodies and internal troops in 2011. Analytical materials. M., 2012. ).
However, getting into a more atomized and devoid of rigid rules of the environment of modern European society, a certain part of the migrants easily “go into all grave”, committing crimes and offenses, and even taking the path of systematic criminal acts in the ranks of organized criminal groups, formed on the basis of ethnic or territorial affiliation. Ethnic criminal groups have their own specifics, largely different from the underworld of the host countries. It is based, in particular, on the peculiarities of the traditional way of life, specifically adapted to modern reality. Under the conditions of modern society, the traditional forms of social organization of many Asian, African, and South European societies prove to be an excellent basis for creating organized criminal societies on their basis and according to their principles. Thus, traditional social organization becomes one of the most important factors influencing ethnicity on crime. First of all, it is tribalism or cronyism, which are the basis of organized crime according to the ethnic principle.
The clan form of organization appears to be the most effective, since the principle of collective responsibility functions within the tribal or clan community, the uniting factor is family ties, they also provide, most often, a position in the criminal hierarchy. At the same time, it is extremely difficult to introduce agents into such structures or place them under any other control of law enforcement agencies, since they function according to the clan principle and it is practically impossible for “outsiders” to penetrate their ranks. The only alternative is the recruitment of representatives of clan communities, but it is also hampered by the kinship between members of the community.
In addition to family ties, the most severe internal discipline that is present in them becomes a serious factor in the clan organization of ethnic criminal communities. The discipline of criminal communities created on the basis of ethnic clans is also formed in the general context of the traditional way of life and the lifestyle of certain ethnic groups. Therefore, such communities are characterized by a developed internal hierarchy, the absolute subordination of lower-level members of the clan community to higher ones. All this is aggravated by the fact that a member of the criminal clan that violates the traditional principles of the organization will be doomed, at best, to expulsion from the clan with all the ensuing consequences. As a rule, organized criminal communities are closely associated with legal business structures - the so-called. "Ethnic business". On the one hand, legal business is a cover for criminal schemes of criminal communities, on the other hand, it uses criminal communities as an argument in resolving conflicts by force, for protection from competitors from other national diasporas or indigenous people.
The criminal behavior of some representatives of migrant communities is largely due to the influence of national traditions, which are not eliminated in countries or regions acting as “donors” of migration flows, but in host societies are considered as manifestations of anti-social and even criminal behavior. In particular, blood revenge, “honor killings”, loyalty to slavery and the slave trade, kidnapping, robbery and robberies in relation to “outsiders” can be attributed to these traditions. This complex of traditions with high criminogenic potential took shape over centuries and even millennia of the existence of some ethnic groups, especially in mountainous areas, which is due to the specificity of survival in harsh natural conditions and environment of foreign ethnic groups.
It should be noted that all the states that included such archaic communities (including the Russian Empire after the accession of the Caucasus and Central Asia), and the clergymen of the main world religions, common in these regions, and the most advanced representatives of ethnic groups fought against these customs and traditions. groups that preserve these traditions. However, up to the present, it is not possible to finally overcome the influence of the archaic in behavioral attitudes and stereotypes of many people from the regions of the North Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Central Asia and the Middle East. In turn, this situation encompasses not only criminogenic, but also conflictive potential, since the demonstrated behavioral attitudes of some migrants cause a completely understandable rejection of the indigenous population and their own fellow tribesmen, who have a higher cultural level and the ability to adapt to the alien in socio-cultural terms. conditions.
Many traditional societies of the same North Caucasus did not know statehood before the Russian expansion in the region. Accordingly, they did not have a stable idea of the state, state laws, and law-abiding, which are characteristic of statesman states. At the same time, the peculiarities of the historical and cultural development of some North Caucasian peoples, both in the pre-revolutionary, and in the Soviet, and, especially, in the post-Soviet periods, contributed to the conservation of archaic traditions and customs, or their transformation and adaptation to modern conditions, and much more ugly and distorted forms than originally - in the authentic version. The same, when compared with the countries of Western Europe, is characteristic of many migrant communities who migrated to Europe from African states, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
For example, in Somalia, at present, there is virtually no unified and strong state; tribal traditions are viewed as something more important and significant than state laws. Accordingly, people who have come from this community have a non-binding attitude to the execution of state laws. As a result, this leads to disastrous consequences. So, it is known that it is immigrants from a number of Asian and African states who in European countries commit the bulk of rape, most of the street robberies. At one time, Gunnar Larsen, head of the police investigation department of violent crimes of the Norwegian capital, was informed that migrants from the Asian and African state commit 70% rape in the city (A. Kogan Norwegian "adapts" to rape // http://norse.ru/society /norway/assault.html). The negative reaction to these crimes from the outraged local community by representatives of liberal and left-wing political forces is translated as “manifestations of nationalism, racism and even fascism,” although this is, again, only to bring order to the management of migration policy. Moreover, some “hot heads” from among the representatives of the left and liberal public assert that the indigenous people themselves are to blame for the migrants' criminal behavior ... you see, they do not want to adjust their own behavior to the traditions and customs of the “guests”. But such logic seems very strange, if not to say outrageous. Why should the indigenous population have to adapt to visitors, much of whom, moreover, either parasites living on large benefits in the Scandinavian countries, or illegals in general, engaged in questionable activities. Moreover, if the visitors are not satisfied or embarrassed by the behavior of the indigenous population - is it more logical to return to their homeland, where traditions and customs are so sweet to the heart?
Many European intellectuals are not just talking - they are shouting about the problem of ethnic crime, generated by uncontrolled migration. Suffice it to recall the famous book of the German Tillo Sarratsin "Germany self-destruct", just dedicated to the problem of the negative impact of migration on the social development of modern Germany. French political analyst Roger Goldberg says that Russia, if it does not adjust its migration policy, is awaited by the sad fate of his native France.
Countering ethnic crime
In modern Russia, a paradoxical situation has arisen, when political and public figures, many scientists and journalists say that ethnic crime or migrant crime does not exist, and people of all nationalities commit crimes, but at the same time, law enforcement officers constantly talk about ethnic crime. the bodies on ethnic crime are written articles, including in reputable scientific journals, Ph.D. and doctoral dissertations are defended on legal, social a logical, philosophical, psychological science. Therefore, in this matter, it still makes sense to listen not so much to the biased public as to the professionals - police officers, special services, scientists - researchers of this issue.
In March, 2014, Deputy Head of the Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Moscow, Police Major Mikhail Gusakov, stated that ethnic crime accounted for at least 17% of crimes committed in the city (See: M. Falaleev. We don’t need such guests // Russian newspaper. 26.03.2014). To expand the fight against ethnic crime a year ago, in January, 2014, was called upon by the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and the former head of the Moscow police department Vladimir Kolokoltsev (I. Egorov. Stop and watch. The capital guards reported on the work // Rossiyskaya gazeta. 27.01.2014). Finally, the President of the Russian Federation V.V. called on to repeatedly intensify the fight against ethnic crime and illegal migration. Putin (See, for example: Putin demanded that the Ministry of Internal Affairs intensify the fight against ethnic crime // http://www.baltinfo.ru/2013/06/10/Putin-potreboval-ot-MVD-aktivizirovat-borbu-s-etnicheskoi- prestupnostyu-xnumx). It turns out that those political and public figures who deny the existence of ethnic crime, argue with police leaders and with the head of state? It turns out that way.
According to numerous media reports, in the same Moscow CID there is a division focused on work with organized ethnic crime. However, this problem is of national importance. Indeed, not only in Moscow, but also in many large cities and even in rural areas, the problem of ethnic organized crime is becoming more acute. So, the tension of passions in the city of Mineralnye Vody of the Stavropol Territory, connected with an attack on a hospital of a group of several dozen people who had killed a local resident before his death, had not yet subsided. In this incident, operational detentions were carried out, a number of police officers and city commanders lost their positions, however, it seems that such tough measures are being taken only when the “gun shot”, but they should be taken when the “gun hangs on the wall”.
Prevention of ethnic crime in modern Russia primarily involves two main areas of activity - this is increasing control over migration flows and the creation of an effective system of migrants' adaptation to living conditions in Russian society. The development of these two directions and provides, as they say, a “tilled field” for the manifestation of creativity by Russian officials and their scientific consultants. In particular, increasing control over migration flows means real suppression of the possibility of entering into the country of persons suspected of involvement in criminal activities - both in its territory and in other states, introducing a certain educational, age, property, family qualification for persons entering on the territory of the Russian Federation for the purpose of employment, increasing criminal responsibility for crimes committed in the territory of the Russian Federation followed by life or until temporary denial of the right to enter the country.
As for the adaptation policy in the migration sphere, the most crucial point here is the suppression of the very possibility of the emergence of ethnic enclaves in large Russian cities. Many of the problems of European cities, including those of Paris or Marseille, are related to the fact that real “ghettos” appeared on their territory, populated by immigrants from Asian or African states. For example, in Paris, the Gut d'Or district was nicknamed by the people "small Africa" - here the Senegalese, Congolese and other people from the African continent constitute the main population. In Marseille, about 50% of the population are migrants from North African countries, occupying entire areas of the city, where the police are not at risk of entering except as large and well-armed detachments.
It is not a secret that these urban areas are not only a hotbed of street crime, but also political and religious extremism. It is here that mass riots begin to ripen and begin, usually starting after the police shoot or wound any particularly violent offender. In itself, the compact residence of representatives of migrant diasporas impedes their quick integration into the host society and creates all the prerequisites for the further cultivation of archaic traditions, the creation of closed ethnic entrepreneurial and, accordingly, criminal structures. Therefore, the state should make all possible efforts to ensure that such a compact residence, if it exists, would be under the appropriate control of administrative and law enforcement structures.
Of particular importance for national security is control over the activities of religious and public organizations existing in the migrant environment. There are many examples of how extremist organizations were born among migrants, aid was collected and organizational support was provided to terrorist organizations operating in the migrants' homeland or on a transnational scale. In this situation, administrative and law enforcement agencies should work not with the formal leaders of diasporas and national cultural organizations, much of which does not have any real influence on their fellow tribesmen, but with truly reputable people in the migrant environment. In any case, law enforcement agencies and special services need to intensify work in this area, but this requires the creation of a specific regulatory framework. It turns out a vicious circle - the liberal public, including the media and part of the scientific community, human rights activists, politicians, having a certain influence on legislators and even state power, can block the adoption of real bills aimed at streamlining migration policies and fighting ethnic crime.
However, if tangible progress is not achieved in combating ethnic crime, the risk factors for the national security of the Russian state will only increase. First of all, the phenomenon of the existence of organized crime, which is formed on the ethnic principle, has a destructive and corrupting effect on public order, creates a lot of problems for the state and its population, including migrants themselves, whom their fellow tribesmen organized into gangs , racketeering and robbing. Secondly, the existence of such criminal communities is the “golden bottom” for corruption and the mechanism of corruption of the law enforcement system, the executive, legislative and judicial authorities. Thirdly, it is a colossal threat to destabilize the political situation in the country, because the conflict-prone potential of foreign ethnic communities and networks is enormous - it provokes conflicts of the indigenous and visiting populations, the growth of ultra-nationalist organizations among those and others, and the growing discontent with the weakness of the authorities. or law enforcement system. Finally, a direct threat to the country's national security is also associated with the possibility of the use of ethnic criminal communities by foreign special services and radical extremist and terrorist organizations. However, in the fight against ethnic crime, another nuance is important - the correct presentation of information to the public. It is impossible to provoke nationalist sentiments and to give a reason to identify the fight against crime with the prosecution of any specific ethnic groups.
The increase in crime is one of the primary consequences of migration and is primarily due to the social, psychological and sociocultural characteristics of the migrant environment. First, the majority of migrants are young (or relatively young) able-bodied men aged 18-40 years, who, on the one hand, are not deprived of a certain desire to improve their well-being (just went to other countries and regions in search of work, “Better share”), but on the other hand, most of them do not have a high level of education and qualifications, or are forced to work outside their specialty. In the receiving society, migrants initially occupy the lowest level of the social hierarchy, and the extent to which they can satisfy their ambitions and improve their status depends above all on the improvement of their material well-being. Secondly, a significant proportion of migrants arrive in host countries from economically more backward and fundamentally different states and regions culturally.
Thus, in the modern world, the main vectors of migration processes are observed from East to West and from South to North. Migrants come to Europe from countries in Asia and Africa, very often coming from traditional societies, the very way of life of which brings with it cardinal differences from the way of life in the host countries of European culture. As for the Russian Federation, there is about the same picture. Although the main sources of migration are the former Soviet republics of Central Asia and Transcaucasia, we must not forget that in these countries whole generations of citizens have grown up who practically do not speak Russian, are not familiar with the customs and way of life of the Russian and, more broadly, Europeanized population . Naturally, upon the arrival of migrants into the territory of the Russian Federation, a number of problems arise in the sphere of their social and, not less important, cultural adaptation to the living conditions in a foreign country. Of course, the majority of migrants are good and law-abiding people, however, it is not a discovery that some migrants take the path of criminal activities, both street and domestic crime, and the creation of organized criminal communities that control entire areas of criminal business.
Unfortunately, some attempts to adjust the state policy in the field of migration management are undertaken by the country's authorities only in recent years. So, from January 1 2015, migrants entering Russia will have to undergo testing for knowledge of the Russian language, stories and the foundations of the legislation of the Russian Federation. The measure is certainly necessary and interesting, especially if reliable protection against corruption is created. However, the question of measures to counter the crime of migrants, as well as people from migrant backgrounds who have received Russian citizenship, remains open. Scientists - sociologists and criminologists, and specialists - practitioners from Russian law enforcement agencies pay attention to him.
In recent years, there have been many discussions about whether there is “ethnic crime” or “crime has no nationality”. Moreover, it is significant that, as a rule, the second point of view is defended, besides the leaders of migrant organizations and national diasporas, or public figures, human rights activists, or journalists of the liberal media, or politically engaged sociologists. The first point of view, in turn, is confirmed not only in the speeches and interviews of high-ranking law enforcement officers, but also in the works of Russian scientists. And not only domestic ones - both the modern sociologists and criminologists, and the classics of world criminology, wrote a lot about the fact of the influence of the national mentality, certain traditions and customs on the possible criminal behavior of a person or groups of individuals.
Italian criminologists about crime factors
In this context, the conclusions drawn by the representatives of the Italian School of Criminology in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries are especially interesting to us. Immediately, we note that the Italian School of Criminology does not have any single concept, therefore we understand the totality of the views of philosophers, sociologists and criminologists who lived and worked on the territory of modern Italy and studied, first of all, Italian society. Probably the most famous among them is Cesare Lombroso with his famous anthropological concept. In the Soviet period of national history, the ideas of Lombroso (“Lombrosianism”) were severely criticized as racist and anti-scientific. Indeed, in some places, Lombroso, as they say, “went too far” when he spoke of the total propensity to commit crimes of representatives of certain races or nationalities and, moreover, physiological types. But, we must pay tribute to him, it was Lombroso who was one of the first in European criminology who thought about the influence of ethnic factors on the criminal behavior of an individual.
Another famous Italian sociologist Filippo Turatti, the former and one of the leaders of the socialist party in the country, on the contrary, in the spirit of Marxist philosophy, concluded that crime in modern society is determined by social factors. First of all, this is class inequality and social polarization of society. Representatives of the oppressed classes are much more prone to committing crimes, because they are pushed to their plight by the economic situation, as well as by a number of other factors, including the inability to get a full-fledged education, low cultural level, and the lack of appropriate education.
Economic factors influencing the criminal behavior of an individual were promoted to paramount positions by another sociologist and criminologist Napoleon Colaianni. According to Kolayanni, poverty is the most important source of crime. The deterioration of the economic situation determines the growth of criminal behavior at both personal and social levels. Of particular importance, in this case, has a social polarization of society. When the incomes of one part of the population many times exceed the incomes of the other part of the population, serious social contradictions arise. The lower classes of society, who do not have the opportunity to live at a high level, nevertheless want to secure at least some material well-being for themselves, and therefore they embark on the criminal path.
Finally, the
Enrico Ferri put forward his own concept, including classifying the main causes of criminal behavior. To some extent, this concept was a compromise between anthropological and social concepts, as Ferri allowed the possibility of three causes of criminal behavior of an individual - individual, physical and social. Each criminal has the influence of natural characteristics - gender, race, age, individual characteristics - character, worldview, mental development and social characteristics - position in society, profession, level of education. Unlike Lombroso, who, paying attention to ethnic factors in the formation of criminal behavior, stopped in more detail just on racial and anthropological features, E. Ferry tried to sum up a solid empirical basis for his calculations. So, he turned to the study of the contemporary Italian mafia. It is known that the latter was the most powerful in the southern regions of Italy. First of all - on the island of Sicily and in Calabria. Accordingly, it was necessary to explain why precisely the representatives of a certain subethnos of the Italian nation turned out to be most inclined towards organized crime, the formation of mafia communities. Enrique Ferri concluded that this specific behavior of the inhabitants of southern Italy is explained by the influence that the traditions of the peoples of the North African region located across the Mediterranean Sea had on the region for centuries. The spread of murders on the island of Sicily Ferri directly deduced from this influence, while emphasizing that the crime rate in those regions of southern Italy in which the Greek component was stronger, was significantly lower (Ferry E. Criminal sociology. M., 1908).
In the modern world, the influence of social and ethnocultural factors on the growth of crime is difficult to dispute. The phenomenon of "ethnic crime", about which there are numerous disputes, most actively manifests itself in large cities. The social space itself of a modern large city becomes a favorable environment for the manifestation of all forms of criminal behavior. Among the manifestations of this favorable environment in large cities is the emergence of “enclaves” and “ghettos” populated by migrants and social lows. In these "enclaves" youth crime is formed, street gangs are created, which can later be transformed into various manifestations of organized crime.
Archaic, tradition and crime
One of the most important sources of organized crime in the migrant environment is undoubtedly the factor of influence of the specific way of life of traditional societies, which differs from the urbanized way of life of modern European countries, including Russia, that we are used to. First of all, it should be noted that when they find themselves in a new and alien social environment, migrants can demonstrate dramatic changes in the fundamental characteristics of their behavior. First of all, we are talking about the demonstration of criminal and illegal behavior by those people who have never shown criminal inclinations in their homeland. Many countries and regions from which labor migrants arrive differ by an order of magnitude lower level of common crime than host developed societies. This is due to the fact that in traditional societies more informal control over the behavior of its members. To commit a criminal act there simply will not give, and if it is still done, the punishment will become inevitable and will follow not only from law enforcement agencies, but also from the social environment. It is not by chance that the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation draws attention to a lower level of common crime in the same North Caucasian republics (Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. The state of law and order in the Russian Federation and the main results of the activities of internal affairs bodies and internal troops in 2011. Analytical materials. M., 2012. ).
However, getting into a more atomized and devoid of rigid rules of the environment of modern European society, a certain part of the migrants easily “go into all grave”, committing crimes and offenses, and even taking the path of systematic criminal acts in the ranks of organized criminal groups, formed on the basis of ethnic or territorial affiliation. Ethnic criminal groups have their own specifics, largely different from the underworld of the host countries. It is based, in particular, on the peculiarities of the traditional way of life, specifically adapted to modern reality. Under the conditions of modern society, the traditional forms of social organization of many Asian, African, and South European societies prove to be an excellent basis for creating organized criminal societies on their basis and according to their principles. Thus, traditional social organization becomes one of the most important factors influencing ethnicity on crime. First of all, it is tribalism or cronyism, which are the basis of organized crime according to the ethnic principle.
The clan form of organization appears to be the most effective, since the principle of collective responsibility functions within the tribal or clan community, the uniting factor is family ties, they also provide, most often, a position in the criminal hierarchy. At the same time, it is extremely difficult to introduce agents into such structures or place them under any other control of law enforcement agencies, since they function according to the clan principle and it is practically impossible for “outsiders” to penetrate their ranks. The only alternative is the recruitment of representatives of clan communities, but it is also hampered by the kinship between members of the community.
In addition to family ties, the most severe internal discipline that is present in them becomes a serious factor in the clan organization of ethnic criminal communities. The discipline of criminal communities created on the basis of ethnic clans is also formed in the general context of the traditional way of life and the lifestyle of certain ethnic groups. Therefore, such communities are characterized by a developed internal hierarchy, the absolute subordination of lower-level members of the clan community to higher ones. All this is aggravated by the fact that a member of the criminal clan that violates the traditional principles of the organization will be doomed, at best, to expulsion from the clan with all the ensuing consequences. As a rule, organized criminal communities are closely associated with legal business structures - the so-called. "Ethnic business". On the one hand, legal business is a cover for criminal schemes of criminal communities, on the other hand, it uses criminal communities as an argument in resolving conflicts by force, for protection from competitors from other national diasporas or indigenous people.
The criminal behavior of some representatives of migrant communities is largely due to the influence of national traditions, which are not eliminated in countries or regions acting as “donors” of migration flows, but in host societies are considered as manifestations of anti-social and even criminal behavior. In particular, blood revenge, “honor killings”, loyalty to slavery and the slave trade, kidnapping, robbery and robberies in relation to “outsiders” can be attributed to these traditions. This complex of traditions with high criminogenic potential took shape over centuries and even millennia of the existence of some ethnic groups, especially in mountainous areas, which is due to the specificity of survival in harsh natural conditions and environment of foreign ethnic groups.
It should be noted that all the states that included such archaic communities (including the Russian Empire after the accession of the Caucasus and Central Asia), and the clergymen of the main world religions, common in these regions, and the most advanced representatives of ethnic groups fought against these customs and traditions. groups that preserve these traditions. However, up to the present, it is not possible to finally overcome the influence of the archaic in behavioral attitudes and stereotypes of many people from the regions of the North Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Central Asia and the Middle East. In turn, this situation encompasses not only criminogenic, but also conflictive potential, since the demonstrated behavioral attitudes of some migrants cause a completely understandable rejection of the indigenous population and their own fellow tribesmen, who have a higher cultural level and the ability to adapt to the alien in socio-cultural terms. conditions.
Many traditional societies of the same North Caucasus did not know statehood before the Russian expansion in the region. Accordingly, they did not have a stable idea of the state, state laws, and law-abiding, which are characteristic of statesman states. At the same time, the peculiarities of the historical and cultural development of some North Caucasian peoples, both in the pre-revolutionary, and in the Soviet, and, especially, in the post-Soviet periods, contributed to the conservation of archaic traditions and customs, or their transformation and adaptation to modern conditions, and much more ugly and distorted forms than originally - in the authentic version. The same, when compared with the countries of Western Europe, is characteristic of many migrant communities who migrated to Europe from African states, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
For example, in Somalia, at present, there is virtually no unified and strong state; tribal traditions are viewed as something more important and significant than state laws. Accordingly, people who have come from this community have a non-binding attitude to the execution of state laws. As a result, this leads to disastrous consequences. So, it is known that it is immigrants from a number of Asian and African states who in European countries commit the bulk of rape, most of the street robberies. At one time, Gunnar Larsen, head of the police investigation department of violent crimes of the Norwegian capital, was informed that migrants from the Asian and African state commit 70% rape in the city (A. Kogan Norwegian "adapts" to rape // http://norse.ru/society /norway/assault.html). The negative reaction to these crimes from the outraged local community by representatives of liberal and left-wing political forces is translated as “manifestations of nationalism, racism and even fascism,” although this is, again, only to bring order to the management of migration policy. Moreover, some “hot heads” from among the representatives of the left and liberal public assert that the indigenous people themselves are to blame for the migrants' criminal behavior ... you see, they do not want to adjust their own behavior to the traditions and customs of the “guests”. But such logic seems very strange, if not to say outrageous. Why should the indigenous population have to adapt to visitors, much of whom, moreover, either parasites living on large benefits in the Scandinavian countries, or illegals in general, engaged in questionable activities. Moreover, if the visitors are not satisfied or embarrassed by the behavior of the indigenous population - is it more logical to return to their homeland, where traditions and customs are so sweet to the heart?
Many European intellectuals are not just talking - they are shouting about the problem of ethnic crime, generated by uncontrolled migration. Suffice it to recall the famous book of the German Tillo Sarratsin "Germany self-destruct", just dedicated to the problem of the negative impact of migration on the social development of modern Germany. French political analyst Roger Goldberg says that Russia, if it does not adjust its migration policy, is awaited by the sad fate of his native France.
Countering ethnic crime
In modern Russia, a paradoxical situation has arisen, when political and public figures, many scientists and journalists say that ethnic crime or migrant crime does not exist, and people of all nationalities commit crimes, but at the same time, law enforcement officers constantly talk about ethnic crime. the bodies on ethnic crime are written articles, including in reputable scientific journals, Ph.D. and doctoral dissertations are defended on legal, social a logical, philosophical, psychological science. Therefore, in this matter, it still makes sense to listen not so much to the biased public as to the professionals - police officers, special services, scientists - researchers of this issue.
In March, 2014, Deputy Head of the Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Moscow, Police Major Mikhail Gusakov, stated that ethnic crime accounted for at least 17% of crimes committed in the city (See: M. Falaleev. We don’t need such guests // Russian newspaper. 26.03.2014). To expand the fight against ethnic crime a year ago, in January, 2014, was called upon by the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and the former head of the Moscow police department Vladimir Kolokoltsev (I. Egorov. Stop and watch. The capital guards reported on the work // Rossiyskaya gazeta. 27.01.2014). Finally, the President of the Russian Federation V.V. called on to repeatedly intensify the fight against ethnic crime and illegal migration. Putin (See, for example: Putin demanded that the Ministry of Internal Affairs intensify the fight against ethnic crime // http://www.baltinfo.ru/2013/06/10/Putin-potreboval-ot-MVD-aktivizirovat-borbu-s-etnicheskoi- prestupnostyu-xnumx). It turns out that those political and public figures who deny the existence of ethnic crime, argue with police leaders and with the head of state? It turns out that way.
According to numerous media reports, in the same Moscow CID there is a division focused on work with organized ethnic crime. However, this problem is of national importance. Indeed, not only in Moscow, but also in many large cities and even in rural areas, the problem of ethnic organized crime is becoming more acute. So, the tension of passions in the city of Mineralnye Vody of the Stavropol Territory, connected with an attack on a hospital of a group of several dozen people who had killed a local resident before his death, had not yet subsided. In this incident, operational detentions were carried out, a number of police officers and city commanders lost their positions, however, it seems that such tough measures are being taken only when the “gun shot”, but they should be taken when the “gun hangs on the wall”.
Prevention of ethnic crime in modern Russia primarily involves two main areas of activity - this is increasing control over migration flows and the creation of an effective system of migrants' adaptation to living conditions in Russian society. The development of these two directions and provides, as they say, a “tilled field” for the manifestation of creativity by Russian officials and their scientific consultants. In particular, increasing control over migration flows means real suppression of the possibility of entering into the country of persons suspected of involvement in criminal activities - both in its territory and in other states, introducing a certain educational, age, property, family qualification for persons entering on the territory of the Russian Federation for the purpose of employment, increasing criminal responsibility for crimes committed in the territory of the Russian Federation followed by life or until temporary denial of the right to enter the country.
As for the adaptation policy in the migration sphere, the most crucial point here is the suppression of the very possibility of the emergence of ethnic enclaves in large Russian cities. Many of the problems of European cities, including those of Paris or Marseille, are related to the fact that real “ghettos” appeared on their territory, populated by immigrants from Asian or African states. For example, in Paris, the Gut d'Or district was nicknamed by the people "small Africa" - here the Senegalese, Congolese and other people from the African continent constitute the main population. In Marseille, about 50% of the population are migrants from North African countries, occupying entire areas of the city, where the police are not at risk of entering except as large and well-armed detachments.
It is not a secret that these urban areas are not only a hotbed of street crime, but also political and religious extremism. It is here that mass riots begin to ripen and begin, usually starting after the police shoot or wound any particularly violent offender. In itself, the compact residence of representatives of migrant diasporas impedes their quick integration into the host society and creates all the prerequisites for the further cultivation of archaic traditions, the creation of closed ethnic entrepreneurial and, accordingly, criminal structures. Therefore, the state should make all possible efforts to ensure that such a compact residence, if it exists, would be under the appropriate control of administrative and law enforcement structures.
Of particular importance for national security is control over the activities of religious and public organizations existing in the migrant environment. There are many examples of how extremist organizations were born among migrants, aid was collected and organizational support was provided to terrorist organizations operating in the migrants' homeland or on a transnational scale. In this situation, administrative and law enforcement agencies should work not with the formal leaders of diasporas and national cultural organizations, much of which does not have any real influence on their fellow tribesmen, but with truly reputable people in the migrant environment. In any case, law enforcement agencies and special services need to intensify work in this area, but this requires the creation of a specific regulatory framework. It turns out a vicious circle - the liberal public, including the media and part of the scientific community, human rights activists, politicians, having a certain influence on legislators and even state power, can block the adoption of real bills aimed at streamlining migration policies and fighting ethnic crime.
However, if tangible progress is not achieved in combating ethnic crime, the risk factors for the national security of the Russian state will only increase. First of all, the phenomenon of the existence of organized crime, which is formed on the ethnic principle, has a destructive and corrupting effect on public order, creates a lot of problems for the state and its population, including migrants themselves, whom their fellow tribesmen organized into gangs , racketeering and robbing. Secondly, the existence of such criminal communities is the “golden bottom” for corruption and the mechanism of corruption of the law enforcement system, the executive, legislative and judicial authorities. Thirdly, it is a colossal threat to destabilize the political situation in the country, because the conflict-prone potential of foreign ethnic communities and networks is enormous - it provokes conflicts of the indigenous and visiting populations, the growth of ultra-nationalist organizations among those and others, and the growing discontent with the weakness of the authorities. or law enforcement system. Finally, a direct threat to the country's national security is also associated with the possibility of the use of ethnic criminal communities by foreign special services and radical extremist and terrorist organizations. However, in the fight against ethnic crime, another nuance is important - the correct presentation of information to the public. It is impossible to provoke nationalist sentiments and to give a reason to identify the fight against crime with the prosecution of any specific ethnic groups.
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