The Russian Federal Migration Service has reported that nearly 284,000 immigrant workers have been officially registered in the country. However, Russian analysts say at least 3 million immigrants are currently working in the country illegally, which means there is only one immigrant legally employed for every ten illegal workers. Our correspondent interviewed Igor Yunash, the deputy director of the Federal Migration Service, to find out what is being done about the situation.
Question: Why is there such a disproportion between illegal and legal immigrant workers? Is it easy to obtain a visa?
Answer: Since the start of this year, the Russian border crossing procedure has been dramatically facilitated for immigrant workers. Employers should ask the Federal Migration Service for permission to attract foreign workforce. In this case, we proceed from an overall quota and regional quotas. After receiving permission, the employer sends an invitation from his firm and our permission, which is valid for a year, to the future worker. This particularly applies if the future employee is a citizen of a country subject to visa restrictions. The migrant worker fills in a migration card on the border, indicating that he intends to work in the country. Russia's current migration policy and legislation treat all foreigners equally, be they from Kyrgyzstan or Italy.
However, many immigrants from the CIS have not yet realized that the situation has changed and that they can no longer stay in our country as they did in Soviet times. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the new borders affected many people's lives. Another problem is the economy. It is unprofitable for employers to legalize immigrant workers today.
Q: A few years ago, Russia adopted a national demographic development concept until 2015. It contains a section devoted to migration policy priorities. However, no palpable results are evident in attempts to attract immigrants to work on a permanent basis. Moreover, many CIS and Baltic countries citizens have recently found it difficult to get Russian citizenship...
A: In reality, getting Russian citizenship is not a problem. The problem is that everyone who comes to the country today wants to get Russian citizenship as soon as possible. However, there are strict regulations. Upon arriving in Russia, you should get a residence permit and then apply for Russian citizenship some five years later. There is the same procedure throughout the world. Try to get citizenship quickly in Finland, Germany or anywhere else. You will face the same procedure.
After obtaining the residence permit, foreigners are entitled to all the social benefits of a Russian citizen, including the right to medical services, freedom of movement, and choice of work. No additional permits are required, except for state service. True, you will not immediately get a job in the Federal Security Service or the Interior Ministry. But five years later, you will have every opportunity to do so.
Q: How do Russian law-enforcers treat illegal immigrants?
A: If a person has broken the law and is in Russia illegally, he or she should leave the country. CIS citizens cause more problems by staying in Russia illegally than by entering it illegally. The point is that they can stay in Russia for up to 90 days under the law. After that, they must either leave and return, or extend their term of stay if they have a good reason. However, people often come to Russia and stay here for a year instead of 90 days. Such cases are considered in court and an illegal immigrant can be asked to leave or forced to return to his or her homeland.
Q: Who pays for this?
A: It depends. This year, we received a substantial sum for the first time, over 40 million rubles, for transporting illegal immigrants home. However, under Russian law, if a person is working, he or she should pay for the ticket home. The second option is when the employer covers the expenditures. But if the employer has not been established or if the illegal migrant did not work and has no money, the budget covers the sum. However, now the relevant diasporas, Vietnamese, Armenian, Chinese, and so on, sometimes pay for their illegal immigrant workers, but this is not an option established in legislation.
Q: When will Russia establish an electronic database of workers arriving in Russia?
A: The government gave us three years, and the deadline is in ten months. We have virtually completed the central database in Moscow. It has already included over 11 million migration cards issued in the past few years. This year, we plan to establish an online exchange of information about arriving and departing people. Then, the registration problem will be easier to solve: someone will come to the passport service to be registered, but staffers there will already know that he has arrived in Russia and can operate freely. I think it will be a turning point in work with foreigners.
