| The President calls on counterintelligence officers to fight illegal migration The Russian authorities seem to intend to build a migration policy strictly following the principle of carrots and sticks. Speaking yesterday at the FSB board, Vladimir Putin called for tougher measures to combat illegal immigrants and asked the intelligence services to join this work. “In recent years, the problem of illegal migration has become one of the most pressing issues in Russia,” the president said, addressing his former colleagues. -- Russia needs an influx of labor resources, but only where and when it is needed in the country. A strict barrier must be put in the way of those who break the law and operate in shadow business.” At the same time, the authorities, tightening the country's migration policy, also declare their readiness to provide preferential conditions for obtaining visas and work permits for those foreigners who are ready to strictly follow the letter of Russian legislation.
State leaders have been talking about the need for tough measures against illegal migrants for several years now. Moreover, in this area, words, as a rule, do not diverge from deeds. The Federal Migration Service has already been transferred to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and, wittingly or unwittingly, has acquired the attributes of a law enforcement agency. Migration inspectorates created as an experiment in a number of regions have already been popularly dubbed “migration riot police.” Now such units have already begun work in Tatarstan, the Altai and Krasnodar territories, in Moscow, the Moscow and Sverdlovsk regions, and by the end of the year they are expected to appear in all regions of the country. True, according to the head of the Federal Migration Service, Colonel General Alexander Chekalin, the responsibilities of these units include only investigative work to identify so-called labor pimps. “The Migration Inspectorate is not an assault team that catches these unfortunate people in the markets who come here to work and often find themselves in cramped conditions,” he said. “It’s not them who are interested in these units, but those, excuse the expression, fat cats who profit from the work of illegal immigrants.”
But, judging by Vladimir Putin’s statement yesterday, the authorities would like to strengthen the security forces from the FMS with counterintelligence officers. Both the head of state and the heads of the Ministry of Internal Affairs continue to explain the need for a repressive policy by the large number of illegal migrants in the country (according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, there may be up to 5 million foreigners in Russia without the necessary documents) and the high level of crime among visitors. Colonel General Chekalin recalled yesterday that about 35 thousand crimes are committed by foreigners every year in Russia, and about 60% of cases of theft from cottages and dachas are carried out by illegal workers hired for their construction. The President also believes that harm to the state is caused not only by the fact of illegal migration itself, but also by its indirect consequences. “And migrants themselves often find themselves in a powerless position and in need of protection - both in the sphere of relations with employers and in connection with the arbitrariness of officials, which, in turn, becomes a breeding ground for crimes and worsens the criminal situation in certain regions,” - Vladimir Putin emphasized.
On the other hand, along with security measures directed against illegal immigrants, the government is now preparing a number of concessions for foreigners who comply with our migration legislation. In particular, the Ministry of Internal Affairs intends to relieve respectable foreigners from the need to travel outside Russia each time to obtain an annual visa and work permit. “An employer and a foreign citizen involved in work can count on the extension of a work permit in Russia,” promised Alexander Chekalin. “In the future, it is possible to issue such work permits for three years at once.” True, this practice will mainly be applied to the so-called “key personnel” - senior managers, programmers, adjusters, consultants.
The head of the FMS also promised not to commit atrocities using the last resort for violators - deportation. He noted that “this is a radical measure, the thoughtless and groundless application of which creates interstate tension.” Mr. Chekalin said that the deportation procedure is and will be applied only by decision of the courts and in exceptional cases. Although he admitted that 80% of claims from the FMS are satisfied by the courts.
In addition, the Russian authorities seem ready to offer foreigners open rules of the game, creating a legal field that should save visitors from arbitrariness on the part of officials and police officers. Alexander Chekalin said yesterday that the Ministry of Internal Affairs proposes to prepare and combine all legislation on migration into a separate code. Currently, this area is regulated by 12 directly applicable federal laws and several dozen more by-laws - mainly government decrees. “The Migration Code must have its own logical basis, its own design,” says Mr. Chekalin. Kirill VASILENKO |
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