New legislation tightening government control of migration came
into force in Russia Monday, prompting concerns about a crackdown
among the millions of illegal workers.
The rules ease stringent procedures for citizens of most former
Soviet republics who enter Russia from January 15 to obtain work
permits.
But authorities are carrying out strict checks of the estimated
10-12 million foreigners who are already working in Russia, most of
them illegally. Employers who have staff without proper documents
face fines of up to 800,000 rubles (US$30,100).
In the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk, which lies on the Chinese
border, Chinese market vendors have been packing up their unsold
goods and heading back home. One clothes trader, Li Chen Tsza, said
he had marked down his prices by 50 percent to get rid of his
inventory.
"They told us that from New Year's, we won't be able to sell our
goods here anymore," he said in televised comments.
A government decree that took effect January 1 restricted the
number of non-Russians in the retail trade outside stores to 40
percent and to zero from April 1.
Outdoor markets and bazaars in Russia, popular because of their
low prices, are staffed heavily by migrants from former Soviet
republics, many of whom lack official permission to live or work.
Most work long hours for meager salaries.
The issue of immigration has become a lightning rod for
President Vladimir Putin's government amid rising popular
resentment of migrants in particular, dark-skinned workers from
former Soviet republics in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Racist attacks and hate crimes are on the rise, and the Movement
Against Illegal Immigration a far-right, grass roots political
organization has exploded in popularity in recent months.
Critics said the authorities' moves against migrants would only
encourage xenophobic sentiments already on the rise in Russia, fuel
inflation and accelerate the nation's population decline.
Russia's population is dropping by about 700,000 a year and has
fallen below 143 million, a demographic crisis blamed on the
economic turmoil that followed the Soviet collapse. The population
decline would be even more catastrophic were it not for
immigration.
(China Daily via agencies January 16, 2007)
