Novy Urengoy is a closed city

On December 3, 2012, it became known that the authorities of Novy Urengoy closed the entrance to the city for non-citizens. How to get to Novy Urengoy migrants and citizens of Russia can now only with a pass from the employer or an invitation from relatives. Documents are checked at the airport railroads and at police posts on highways. Decor documents required for entry into the city takes at least a month.

Local authorities explain their actions by the need to fight illegal migration. "The influx of migrants", according to law enforcement agencies, led to an increase in crime in 2011. Head of the Countermeasures Center extremism, the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug referred to the activation in the region of cells of banned organizations, such as the Caucasus Emirate and "Hizb-ut-Tahrir".

Novy Urengoy is one of the border zones of the Russian Federation, which allows the city administration to regulate mode of entry into its territory. Note, however, that it is unlikely that migrants and emissaries of foreign organizations paved the way to the city through the Northern Arctic Ocean.

We believe that the authorities have abused the right to regulate the regime of entry into the city: firstly, it is not intended by law to regulate migration, and secondly, the closure of the city is an absolutely disproportionate action to combat radical groups of any kind.

Sources

• Novy Urengoy isolated from the rest of Russia to fight migrants // National accent. 2012. December 3rd.