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Concern is growing that thousands of homeless people are being forcibly moved out of World Cup cities to hide Russia’s social problems.

There are claims that some without a shelter have been “beaten” with truncheons to force them onto buses to campsites or former military bases.

Despite denials by officials, there are fears of a repeat of the mass expulsions carried out by Soviet authorities in Moscow during the 1980 Olympics.

Newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets (MK) reported that homeless people have been warned they will be “sent to special camps” before the tournament starts next week.

An anonymous policeman in Moscow said: “We just push them all out into the street towards special buses.

"Then with words or batons we push them in — and goodbye!”

Homeless from host city Kazan have been banished to Naberezhnye Chelny, and those from Ekaterinburg have been deported to Chelyabinsk, according to social media reports, said the newspaper.

Moscow’s social care department denied the claims.

“Homeless people are the same citizens like you and me, and it is illegal to transfer them somewhere by force,” said a spokesman.