The document introduces amendments to the federal laws "On the Procedure for Exit and Entry into the Russian Federation" and "On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in Russia." Deputies are confident that these measures will make migrants more protected and reduce tension in society. The Federation of Migrants of Russia is dissatisfied and considers the new requirements an additional barrier. The need for such exams was stated in a decree by President Vladimir Putin "On Ensuring Interethnic Accord," which he signed on May 7, 2012.
"In early December 2012, we adopted a bill that required labor migrants employed in housing and communal services, trade, and services to pass a Russian language exam. And this bill applies to foreign citizens applying for an ordinary work visa, work permit, patent, or residence permit. It also introduces additional exams – on history and laws of Russia," said one of the authors of the bill, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building Dmitry Vyatkin. The requirement to pass the exam does not apply only to highly qualified specialists, their family members, and migrants from Belarus and Kazakhstan – international agreements on a simplified hiring procedure have been signed with these countries, the deputy explained.
A foreigner will have to pay five thousand rubles to take the exam. Migrants currently pay the same amount for the Russian language exam. Those who demonstrate good knowledge of the subjects will receive a certificate valid for five years, according to the bill. Requirements for the minimum level of knowledge, as well as the list of organizations administering the exams, will be developed later.
"Training and exams will be conducted in accordance with standards and procedures approved by the Ministry of Education and Science, in special centers, as well as in educational institutions that are included in a special register of the Ministry of Education. It will be possible to study and take exams both here and abroad – in the countries from which migrants come. But again, this will be carried out in accordance with the standards of the Russian Ministry of Education," Vyatkin explained.
The new rules will take effect on January 1, 2015, according to the document. "Everyone understands perfectly well that people should come here adapted and prepared, so that conflicts do not arise with our citizens. Moreover, it is in the interests of protecting the rights of the migrants themselves, who often arrive without knowing the language or codes, and find themselves in a disadvantaged, deplorable situation," Vyatkin stated.
The explanatory note to the bill from the State Duma Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building adds that the new rules will help a foreigner adapt in Russia. This should reduce the likelihood of ethnic enclaves, thus reducing tension in interaction with local residents and strengthening tolerance. Deputies also hope to popularize the Russian language in the CIS. And the difficulty of the exam will help reduce the number of labor migrants, the explanatory note states.
Thus, "processes on the Russian labor market will be optimized, and additional jobs will be freed up for Russians," deputies believe. As Vyatkin assured, the draft was discussed in the government together with representatives of all interested departments. "In addition, it was sent to the regions of Russia, and there were no negative conclusions," the deputy added.
Representatives of migrants reacted hostilely to the initiative. In particular, President of the Federation of Migrants of Russia Muhammad Amin called the bill a "crazy idea." "We support the mandatory Russian language exam. But as for history and fundamentals of legislation, it's all too confusing: even Russians don't really know their history, and laws change very often. How can a foreign citizen take an exam on Russian law? This is discrimination," Amin expressed his indignation. He also noted that the additional costs would be too heavy for migrants, who, in particular, have to pay for permits and medical insurance.
Chair of the committee "Civil Assistance", head of the network "Migration and Law" of the human rights center "Memorial" Svetlana Gannushkina also believes that there is nothing good about the bill. According to the human rights activist, in order to administer exams, conditions for preparation must first be created and the main goal should be not the "examining" of foreigners, but actual training.
"Unfortunately, this all leads to increased corruption and nothing else. By the way, I know that certificates of passed exams have already appeared, but the law hasn't even been passed yet," Gannushkina says. "Such exams are pointless, especially on Russian history. First we need to sort out this history ourselves, and then teach migrants."
Anastasia BERSENEVA, Ekaterina MAKAROVA,
Gazeta.Ru