The speaker of the Russian parliament announces laws tightening migration policy

The Russian State Duma has presented five laws tightening the country’s migration policy, announced Marshal Vyacheslav Volodin on September 29.

Anti-migration sentiment has increased in Russia in recent months, especially against Central Asian migrants, after several gunmen opened fire at a facility on the outskirts of Moscow in late March.

The draft laws provide for tougher penalties for illegal immigrants committing crimes based on their migration status, tougher penalties for “organizing” illegal migration, increased liability for forged documents, blocking of online services offering illegal services to migrants, and a ban on the activities of intermediary organizations conducting examinations – such as such as knowledge of Russian – in the case of migrants.

Volodin claimed that the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has registered more than 4,500 cases of document forgery this year.

The proposed laws “will contribute to bringing order in the area of ​​migration policy,” he added.

Following the terrorist attack on Moscow in late March, Russia began raiding dormitories and apartments housing Central Asian migrants and carrying out mass deportations.

A branch of the Islamic State (ISIS) admitted responsibility shortly thereafter for the attack, and Russia detained four men from Tajikistan, the alleged perpetrators of the attack. There were a dozen people in total arrested suspected of being linked to the attack.

Migrants from Central Asia make up a large part of Russia’s labor force.

In late March, Tajikistan’s Ministry of Labor, Employment and Migration reported that more Tajik migrants in Russia were returning home than usual.