The Impact of Weak Border Control in the Russian Empire on Crime in Eastern Siberia in the Early Twentieth Century

In the early 20th century, Eastern Siberia experienced a high level of serious crime. The murder rate was especially high. The criminalization of Eastern Siberia was significantly influenced by weak and ineffective control of the country’s borders by government authorities. Due to this, Chinese nationals entered Eastern Siberia from China in large numbers and without effective control, committing many serious crimes in this border region. Weak border control allowed Chinese criminals to later also cross the border in the opposite direction and escape criminal prosecution and punishment.