The authors of the bill consider the growth in the number of labor migrants to be 'one of the most acute problems related to the migration situation in Russia,' writes Kommersant. 'In 2012, 15.88 million people entered the Russian Federation (1.34 million work permits were issued), compared to 13.8 million (1.19 million) in the same period of 2011. These figures reflect only official statistics. According to unofficial data, between 3 million and 7 million illegal labor migrants are constantly in the country,' the explanatory note to the document states.
From the deputies' point of view, the increase in the number of low-skilled labor migrants threatens Russia's national integrity and complicates the crime situation. In 2012, 2.5 million people were brought to administrative responsibility, compared to 2.4 million in 2011.
At the same time, the deputies noted that in 2012, 35,134 people were deported from the Russian Federation, compared to 28,585 in 2011. According to analysts, the average cost of deporting a citizen from Central Asian countries ranges from 30,000 to 40,000 rubles. 'These expenses create an unjustified burden on the country's budget and negate the economic benefit of foreign migrant labor,' the authors of the document believe.
Therefore, they intend to introduce a new financial instrument that guarantees the solvency of foreigners – a migration bill. 'A migration bill – a registered interest-free treasury bill – will be purchased by a foreign citizen arriving in Russia without a visa, to ensure solvency in case of their deportation. Being an unconditional financial obligation, it will be subject to redemption upon the foreign citizen's departure from the Russian Federation,' the bill states.
'This is absolutely unfeasible – after all, we have visa-free entry,' Svetlana Gannushkina, head of the Civil Assistance committee, told the publication. 'I would very much like the authors of the bill, when entering another country, to also be charged a small amount of 30,000 euros or dollars just in case they do something there.'
'This is a discriminatory measure because it a priori acknowledges that migrants may break the law and be subject to deportation,' believes Alexander Brod, head of the Moscow Bureau for Human Rights. In his opinion, order should be established in migration policy, but using other mechanisms, including educational work with migrants themselves – through embassies, consulates, and Rossotrudnichestvo.
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