Russia spreads fake news about ‘replacing Ukrainians’ to stoke xenophobia
Russian propaganda has intensified its efforts to distort information about government bill No. 14211, which concerns the employment of foreign workers.
The Centre for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine reported that pro-Russian media are spreading manipulative narratives about an alleged “mass import of labour from Asia” and the “replacement of Ukrainians with migrant workers.”
The Centre explained that these claims are completely unfounded. The draft law does not provide for any “mass import of workers” or the creation of “migration enclaves.”
Instead, the bill focuses on technical improvements: combining two permits into a single one, enabling electronic submission of documents, and harmonising regulations with European standards.
The draft legislation contains no special preferences or quotas for foreigners. Its goal is to bring Ukrainian labour legislation closer to EU norms.
The Centre emphasised that the Kremlin is deliberately distorting the content of legislative initiatives to portray them as a “demographic threat” or an attempt at “population replacement.”
Such disinformation campaigns aim to provoke xenophobia, undermine trust in Ukrainian state institutions, and tarnish the country’s European integration path. Russia is actively manipulating the migration topic as part of its information and psychological operations intended to deepen social tensions within Ukrainian society.
