The Moldovan passport will cease to be a document of identification of the person for Moldovan migrants, and not only Moldovans, in Russia. Instead of a passport, they will have to carry a document issued by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. It can be cancelled by the issuer, i.e. by the police, at any time and under any pretext, IPN reports, with reference to Current Time.
IPN recently reported that the State Duma gave a first reading to the draft law that grants the police the right to expel foreign citizens from Russia.
Until the new law is implemented, the administrative expulsion decision can be taken by court and also by the border guards, if any crime is attested upon entry into the country. Under the new law, the right to expel foreign citizens and stateless persons will also be granted to the internal authorities. The list of reasons that will justify the refusal to allow entry into the country is expanded. Moreover, the passengers will be photographed and their fingerprints will be taken.
A register of supervised persons will be established and the notion of "deportation regime” will be introduced. The register will include foreigners whose registration, for example, expired. A person under expulsion cannot change the place of residence, travel outside the region, drive a means of transport, buy property, but also get married. Police officers will be able to request information about them, including banking, tax and commercial secrets.
It is also stipulated that the patent application (which grants the person the right to work) will be approved internally, and the financial coverage for the patent is not the responsibility of the applicant, but of the employer. Under these conditions, if the employer forgets or no longer wants to pay for the patent, the migrant’s stay in Russia will becomes illegal, believes human rights activist Valentina Chupik.
“Look, the man walks on the street and can be stopped, to have the identity card withdrawn for no reason. Only six months ago, the incident was worth an average of 5,000 rubles in bribe, but now the “donation” amounts to $400-$500.” Valentina Chupik noted that the one who “gives” is deprived of any reason to respect the law. And the police are motivated to stop them, take money from them and let them go. “Unlike thugs, workers will stop coming to Russia, and criminals will find ways to avoid the law.”
Even under these conditions, which even Russian human rights experts consider “horrific”, the lawmakers in Russia would like migrants to “respect the Russian spiritual and moral values”, as the new law stipulates.
