The Federal Migration Service has proposed creating a migration police service in Russia. Its duties would include checking enterprises and organizations that hire foreign citizens. Corresponding amendments to the law "On the Police" have already been submitted to the State Duma.
As explained in the press service of the Russian Interior Ministry, migration inspectorates had been operating for a year as an experiment in five regions of the country, including Moscow and the Moscow region. Police officers were checking companies that hired foreign citizens. "The experiment proved successful, so it was decided to bring the work of the migration inspectorate to the federal level, and for this it is necessary to amend the current law 'On the Police'," said Interior Ministry representative Elena Alekseeva. As noted by the Interior Ministry, staff of this service will not check passers-by for registration - they will check only labor migrants working at firms and enterprises.
In addition, the Federal Migration Service proposes simplifying the registration procedure for both Russian citizens and foreigners, as well as the rules for hiring the latter. According to the migration service, the registration process will take newcomers no more than one day. True, the police have not yet explained how this acceleration will be achieved.
According to Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Chekalin, the department has prepared a draft law on registration that defines two areas - who is responsible for evading registration and how the registration procedure should be simplified. To ensure that the procedure for registration and employment does not take more than one day, he explained, the ministry proposes introducing a "single window" system. "This will avoid unnecessary ordeals, reduce the number of officials involved in the process, and reduce the potential for bribery," the head of the migration service believes.
The police want to place responsibility for evading registration on the citizens whom the guest came to visit. Residents of the capital, for example, hosting a newcomer, will have to go to the passport office themselves and participate in the processing of documents. According to Alexander Chekalin, this will solve the problem of the language barrier that newcomers often face, and also, if registration in Moscow is processed for several people, it will avoid queues.
The migrants themselves welcome the Interior Ministry's initiative to speed up their legalization. "Now registration takes about a week, and you have to stand in queues at several agencies: first at the housing office, then at the district visa and registration office, and then at the police passport office," said one illegal migrant who wished to remain anonymous. "Although only three days are officially allotted for registration, fines start on the fourth day. If all documents can be submitted in one place, it will become much easier. True, who can guarantee that this 'single window' will not have the same week-long queues?"
In the meantime, illegal migrants will be caught and forced to register using old methods. From March 20 to March 30, the operation "Illegal Migrant" was held in Russia. As A. Chekalin explained, it is in March that migrants begin to arrive in the country in search of work - it is expected that at least 500,000 labor migrants will arrive this year. That is why the migration service wants, "without waiting for summer, to assess migrant flows, track violations, and also help newcomers with paperwork."
Soon all issues related to migration, and mainly the responsibility of employers for their illegal employees, will be regulated by one new law being developed by the Interior Ministry. Its exact name has not yet been determined - it will be called either the law "On Migration" or the "Migration Code". According to Alexander Chekalin, Russian legislation currently contains 10 laws and 100 by-laws on the relevant subject. Therefore, gaps often arise in legislation. It is expected that the fine for violating businessmen will be increased to 100 thousand rubles. "We also plan to provide for criminal liability of two to eight years in prison in the new law," the head of the migration service said.