- What is the current situation with migrants in Russia? How big is this problem for the Russian state?
- Migration is now a huge problem for Russia, and it has a particular resonance because Russia is experiencing a demographic crisis. Nevertheless, there is no migration policy in the country, and there never has been.
In the summer of 2006, our migration legislation changed. Two good laws were passed: amendments to the law "On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens" and the law "On Migration Registration." Their goal was to create a situation where a person coming to Russia, primarily from CIS countries with which we have visa-free entry, could easily obtain a work permit and register for migration without problems, using a simple procedure. And gradually, if the person so desired, stay in Russia, bring their family, obtain temporary residence permit, then permanent residence or Russian citizenship.
But after the adoption of these two laws, in December of the year before last, a discourse suddenly began, especially in Moscow, that this would lead to a sharp influx of immigrants. Moscow authorities claimed that it encourages slavery, although it is illegal migration that encourages slavery. And suddenly at the end of December, a law on amendments to the amendments was introduced to the Duma and came into force on January 7.
Difficulties for visa-free foreigners began again - quotas for temporary residence and labor activity were reintroduced. A particularly strong blow was dealt to those who wanted to return to Russia, essentially repatriates who were themselves born in Russia or are descendants of people born here. Quotas for them ran out as early as March. People came to Russia and it turns out that quotas have been reintroduced, and they lose the opportunity to legally live and work in Russia.
- So it's a paradoxical situation: on one hand, Russia is interested in labor migrants because there is a labor shortage. On the other hand, the legislation does not provide a legal opportunity for employment and normal life for these people?
- Yes, exactly. And there are simply no objective reasons for this. Because by depriving people of the opportunity to legalize, we do not get rid of them - they cease to exist in registries, lists and on paper, but they do not cease to exist in real life. They stay and live illegally. Last year the labor migration quota was 6 million, this year it is just over a million. That means those who came and did not fit into this quota became illegal.
- Consequently, illegal migrants have no rights in Russia?
- Illegal migrants are completely without rights and dependent on the employer. They are not paid wages, and after a while they are turned over to the authorities as offenders and new ones are hired. Meanwhile, the employer gets superprofits. This is how construction is done all over Moscow. And the authorities are aware of the situation, but it continues. And we all know this.
On the other hand, a police officer stopping a Tajik or Uzbek on the street also knows that something is wrong with him, and that he will get a piece of butter from that Tajik for his piece of bread.
- How many migrants are there in Russia now?
- Hard to say. Labor migrants, they say, 10 million. I think you can safely divide by two - that is, a total of five million people. A small number, therefore the horrors that some politicians paint in this regard are fabrications.
People come to us, unlike Europe, speaking Russian, those who are close to us in mentality. People who can live next to us, whose children can go to school without any additional classes.
- What is the current trend with xenophobia towards migrants?
- The trend is growing, and with the connivance of the state. And every time there is talk of beatings or even murders on ethnic grounds, they try to remove the article about interethnic hatred. They reclassify it as murder based on personal enmity, but what personal enmity can there be if the killer had never even seen the victim's face before?
- If this continues, people will simply stop coming to Russia?
- That is indeed the case. Many are already trying to move to other countries. People do not want to live here. Our country has a corresponding reputation - that we do not help people. And they look to the West, despite not knowing the language or the mentality.
Interviewed by Sergey MOROZOV.
Deutsche Welle