In Russia, they want to check all migrants for HIV once every three months, including highly qualified specialists. Is this still concern for the health of society or already discrimination?

Since December 29, almost all foreigners who live in Russia, as well as members of their families, according to the new law, are obliged to undergo a radiological examination every three months and take urine and blood analysis. They will be checked for leprosy, tuberculosis, syphilis and HIV.

The business community opposed the new norms and even directed the appeal to the ministers with a request to amend the legislation-such measures regarding top managers in the business world were perceived as unacceptable. Human rights activists even call the law discriminatory and believe that it can be a help for corruption schemes in the field of migration. The Russian Federation of Russia promised that they would not check for illness every three months from developed countries, "because this is stupidity."

New norms were introduced as an update of the laws “On the legal status of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation” and “On state fingerprint registration in the Russian Federation”. State Duma deputies adopted the document on June 15, 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed it on July 1. In the reform of migration legislation, back in 2020, the Ministry of Internal Affairs insisted.

According to the law, labor migrants will also be obliged to undergo examinations with narcologists, psychiatrists and infectious disease specialists within 30 days after entering Russia. Then, after the expiration of the medical certificate, that is, after three months, the migrant needs to be tested again.

Since July 2021, foreigners who enter Russia for more than 90 days must undergo mandatory fingerprinting. Vadim Kozhenov, President of the Russian Federation of the Public Council under the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Moscow, said that this

The norm is needed so that the Russian authorities can find a migrant, if something happens.

“Any citizen who arrives for less than 30 days, he just arrived and left. If he intends to spend more than 30 days, he, respectively, must hand over fingerprints so that we can find it in case of something. Tourists are unlikely to come for more than 30 days, those who are more are mainly labor migrants. Accordingly, they will undergo this procedure, receive an identification number and card. After this, the labor migrant will be considered legal, ”he said.

Dactyloscopy for all migrants will help to avoid the problem when the violators, expelled over the territory of the country, change their surname and call again, Kozhzhev believes . “As soon as we control all foreigners by fingerprints, this problem will completely leave,” he assured.

Fingerprints should take fingerprints on their own. After the deadline for medical documents, that is, after three months, foreign citizens must again undergo all examinations.

If foreigners find a disease or if they refuse to provide data, they can be recognized as “undesirable” in the country or they may reduce their stay in Russia.

Children to the age of six, citizens of Belarus, as well as diplomats and their family on the basis of the principle of reciprocity with their countries were released from these requirements.

In June 2020, the Covid-19 was included in the list of diseases that pose a danger to others, and therefore migrants were also obliged to provide a negative PCR test upon receipt of a residence permit or patent.

Initially, the list of those who should take place and medical examination were not included in highly qualified specialists and officials of international organizations. However, later the Ministry of Internal Affairs proposed to extend these requirements to them.

"No legislative act has caused such a wave of indignation"

Representatives of the business community opposed regular testing for HIV and drugs of foreign top managers working in Russia. The appeal (is at the disposal of “Novaya Gazeta”) is addressed to the first deputy chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Andrei Belousov, the deputy chairman of the government Tatyana Golikova, as well as the assistant to the President of the Russian Federation Maxim Oreshkin, the heads of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Development.

The letter was left under the letter, in particular, the Chairman of the Board of the Russian-German Foreignail Chamber of Matthias Shepp, CEO of European Business Association Tajio Shilling, representatives of other European chambers, as well as the president of the American Commercial Chamber in Russia Robert Aiji.

“For a long time, no legislative act has caused such a wave of misunderstanding, disappointment and indignation among thousands of foreign leaders of the highest and middle level,” the letter said. Changes will significantly complicate the process of attracting foreign investments to Russia and will lead to the outflow of highly qualified foreign specialists, the signatures say.

“Rarely a storm of indignation among the Germans and other foreigners living in Russia was as strong as the one that lasts since last week.

Then a legislative act was published that obliges foreigners working in Russia, as well as their families to take a number of medical examinations every three months, ”said Torsten Gutman, director of the Department of Communications and Marketing of the Russian-German Foreign Trade, in response to a request to the“ New ”.

According to him, for several months the business community did everything to prevent the introduction of these provisions.

“Initially, the survey should have been required at every entry, now every three months. The first negative reviews of what is happening in the appropriate medical centers we received last week, ”added Gutman.

According to representatives of the business community, the new legislation does not take into account the significance of foreign specialists for economic growth and prosperity of Russia.

Signers made their proposals to the Russian authorities. In particular, according to the business, it is possible to exclude Covid from the grounds for refusing to issue or cancel the documents necessary for foreigners, release highly qualified foreign specialists from the need to undergo a medical examination, allow the translator without additional formalities during a medical examination, and also exclude duplicate examinations (in particular, citizens from visa countries are already passing through the HIV test for the receipt of working visas) and allow to transfer medical certificates to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to representatives of foreigners by proxy.

Kozhenov, who, as an expert, refers the bills on migrants, in a conversation with the “New” stated that the proposals of European Chamber of Commerce are unlikely to be considered on the issue of changes in legislation. Nevertheless, he noted that he completely agrees with the proposal to exclude the Covid from the list of diseases, on the basis of which migrants are refused to obtain the necessary documents.

“Indeed, if a person has a Covid, on this basis, he is wrong to refuse, in my opinion.

The problem concerns not only, conditionally, the Germans are a massive problem, it concerns all foreigners. If a person has a covid, he may have problems with the deadline in Russia. We see that people recover, live calmly and work. Therefore, of course, Covid, in my opinion, should be excluded from the list of diseases standing “on the same shelf” with HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis, ”Kozzhev argues.

According to him, the question is not to “torture somewhere to the person”: he must submit documents that he is a healthy person, “that's all.” “If he has already handed over to HIV somewhere, this is an accredited clinic, then please. He shows a certificate, no problems. <...> Otherwise, I think that they will not go around to go to pass tests, ”said the President of the Federation of Migrants.

Kozhenov assures that no one has never repaired no obstacles about translators during a medical examination of migrants. “About the translator - you just need to find out what practice. I am inclined to think that there is no regulation at all, there is simply a practice. Practice is very easy to change by a simple indication of a great leader. You need to understand that this is a systemic stupidity. Or maybe she is not, ”Kozhozhov concluded.

"As if it were a physical examination at the military registration and enlistment office"

Journalist Vladislav and his young man from France, advertising specialist in one of the large companies Alexander (names were changed at the request of the heroes. - Ed .), They fear that their life will change a lot after the entry of the new law.

Alexander has been living in Russia for more than 20 years. Now he is going to renew the visa, however, in addition to this, soon he will need to deal with documents and undergo examinations every three months: “It will be necessary to ride, take tests constantly. This is a very long time, it takes a huge amount of time. You need to go to Sakharovo, to the multifunctional migration center, which they built next to Podolsk. Two hours there, two hours back. You can’t take these tests in the city, you can’t ask someone to take these tests, such as a courier or an agency. I have to go there.

When extending the documents, you have to go to the center four times: submit documents for extension, pick up a passport with a visa, pass tests, get a certificate for analyzes and hand it to where visas are issued. Four days fly out of life, ”said Vladislav.

According to him, only in order to take tests, you need to spend about seven thousand rubles. On the Internet you can find medical services for the registration of a certificate of passing a medical commission for foreign citizens, their cost varies from 3 to 10 thousand rubles.

“I believe that this law is not needed, it is a person’s discrimination. Initially, they always checked all foreigners for HIV infection and sent those from whom this HIV infection was found. Human rights activists, journalists said that this is discrimination, because there are no objective reasons why the HIV-infected foreigner cannot live in Russia. If a foreigner takes antiretroviral therapy, then it is not dangerous to others. We have an HIV epidemic in Russia among Russian citizens, and not among foreigners at all. This law has long been scolded, ”continues Vladislav.

In his opinion, when, in addition to various diseases, a person is checked for the use of prohibited substances, the rules become “even more discriminatory”. He noted that many of the diseases indicated in the lists, such as syphilis, tuberculosis and leprosy, can be cured.

“It is not clear why a person with syphilis, who can be cured in a month, needs to refuse a visa if he can be perfectly cured in Russia, for money or on medical insurance.

As for the use of prohibited substances, I do not understand on what basis the state should check, what substances a person uses if he is not suspected of committing some crimes? ” - says the young man.

All examinations of narcologists and psychiatrists will occupy “about one minute” and will be purely formal, “as if it were a physical examination at the military registration and enlistment office,” he added.

Over the past 10 years, the rules for foreigners in Russia have become much tightened, especially for “labor” and migrants from Central Asia. “But no one has ever touched highly qualified specialists. This is the first time that the state decided to limit life to specialists so much, ”said Vladislav.

Charles Meins, an American journalist National Public Radio, who has been living in Russia for more than 10 years, spoke about his thoughts about the new law. “In any way, there is a law, we must fulfill it. It is also clear that it will not be easy to observe. I talked with specialists, they said that there would be more bureaucracy. This, of course, is inconvenient, but somehow it is necessary to cope. There are many questions, how will all this be organized further? " He says.

According to him, so far in the new rules there is uncertainty, and due to the lack of a clear regulation, it is not clear how to proceed. “The rules in Russia are changing very often. However, there are a lot of organizational issues. I may not quite understand the purpose of the new rules, but maybe this will be visible later, ”he added.

"A great way to turn all migrants in dependent"

The fact that the new legislation is discriminated with the rights of foreign citizens, the head of the non -profit organization of assistance to Migrants Tong Zhakhoni, citizen of Uzbekistan Valentina Chupik , also agrees.

“If we are talking about expediency from the point of view of a normal life, of course, it is inappropriate and harmful. If we are talking about the collection of money (all the tests need to be carried out for money), then, of course, this is such a profit from scratch. This is an opportunity to blackmail everyone in a row.

This is an possibility of extortion, such a great way to delegitimize migrants, the transformation of all of them in dependent.

In order to discriminate against and collect bribes, this is the best thing to come up with, ”said Chupik.

In her opinion, there is a risk that many migrants will go into the “gray” and “black” economy. “And not because they want it so. But because they are forced to do this, ”the human rights activist added.

“This is the myth of foreigners of dirty, infectious, dangerous. This is one of his implementations. Closing this myth, speculating on xenophobia, this is introduced. In fact - to collect bribes, ”said Chupik.

In her opinion, the life of migrants will be very complicated and people will not be able to have stable and official employment: “Operation will increase significantly, taxes will fall significantly. The law is absolutely not needed. ”

The chairman of the Murmansk public organization Migrant Farid Kurdashov , on the contrary, believes that the law on a medical examination of migrants is necessary. Now every foreigner who submit documents for a patent for work, temporary residence permit, residence permit or citizenship of the Russian Federation is obliged to undergo a physical examination, which includes an analysis for HIV.

“However,“ patents ” (those who have a patent for the right to engage in a certain type of individual labor activity. - Ed .) Pass this procedure once a year, those who have a residence permit, once every five years. And now they began to issue a residence permit without a term. When a foreign citizen is officially settled for work, the employer requires him to go through a medical commission. But, as a rule, migrants work informally, that is, they officially do not conclude labor contracts and do not require a medical book from them, ”Kurdashova explains.

In her opinion, in general, to oblige foreign citizens to undergo a medical examination and check them for the presence of diseases that are transmitted by sexual or airborne droplets is a good idea. However, this does not need to be done once every three months, as it is impractical and too often, Kurdashov believes.

“Every three months - this migrant needs to ask for a job from work, who needs such an employee? What queues will be? " She says.

Also, according to Kurdashova, it is not necessary to appoint an examination by a psychiatrist, since “every second one can be declared incompetent.”

“The business community can be disagreeable, because mainly employers hire foreign citizens and draw up documents themselves. This is an extra waste for them. I understand. But you need to follow the rules. <...> My children rudely go in the same bus ( *remind you: HIV cannot be conveyed in ordinary touches, for example, with handshake. Also, the virus is not transmitted after touching the thing that has already been touched by HIV-infected.- Ed .) *. I would like to ensure security to my child. And here I do not see anything like that, ”she summed up.

"Well, it's okay, they will tolerate"

The President of the Russian Federation of Russia Vadim Kozzhev, in a conversation with the New, said that, despite the rules prescribed in the law, foreigners will not have to take tests every three months.

“This has not yet been regulated, but this, let's say, is agreed in words. You can already safely reassure everyone that every three months they will not force anyone to force the tests, because it is stupidity, ”he said.

- [I explain] what kind of [agreed] the regulations and what methodological instructions “to the Earth” have come out now: already located in Russia, nothing needs to be [to hand over] at all . They just live calmly before leaving. For those who arrive after December 29, [there is] two options: if a person upon arrival indicates that the purpose of entry is work, he must pass these tests within 30 days. If it indicates any other purpose of entry (for example, study), then it must [pass] tests within 90 days, ”Kozhozhov explains.

The Germans here just hit the edge. Well, it's okay, I think, will be suffered. Our task is to ensure order and safety through the EAEU citizens, ”he added.

The medical certificate, as Kozhozhov notes, is valid for three months, but formally, migrants have an obligation to take tests only once a year upon receipt of a patent. “Everyone understands that this is right. At the next moment we are waiting for some kind of piece of paper. Либо скажут, что эти справки у нас теперь действуют год. Либо, например, после сдачи [анализов] скажут, что еще год нельзя его принуждать к повторной сдаче. Этот вопрос уже всем понятен. Поэтому как его решат, я пока не знаю, решат его в ближайшее время», — подытожил президент Федерации мигрантов России.

По его словам, закон направлен исключительно на граждан ЕАЭС, которых в России 2,5 млн и «которые никогда в принципе анализы не сдавали»: «Что там с ними — мы не знаем. Это может быть серьезная проблема с точки зрения эпидемиологической безопасности. Это не шутка».