19.09.06

Duma deputies have returned to the issue of foreign workers employed in Russia. They examined a few modifications to the bill "On Amending the Administrative Offense Code of the Russian Federation (KoAP)." The amendments are meant to increase accountability for those who illegally hire foreigners and stateless citizens to work in the Russian Federation.

The bill will introduce specific changes that clarify which individuals will be fined the maximum penalty for violating migration legislation. In addition, this bill will include amendments which set a one-year statute of limitations for such infractions. An amendment establishing the court’s authority to review cases on the respective rights violations is also due to be added to the bill.

For example, management of legal entities and the legal entities will be held responsible for the following infractions: 

• If the employer and service customer do not have a permit to recruit foreign employees, if such a permit is required. Individual Russian nationals will be fined 10 to 25 times the minimum monthly wage (MROT), management of entities - 50 to 200 times the MROT, and legal entities - 500 to 3,000 times the MROT;
• If the foreign worker is found to be working without a work permit;
• If the regional office of the federal migration control and surveillance authority is not properly notified about the recruitment of a foreign worker, if such notification is required. Citizens will be fined up to 5 times the MROT or given a warning, while management will have to pay 10 to 50 times the MROT, and legal entities - 100 to 500 times the MROT.
• Foreign and stateless citizens are now held more accountable (Article.19.18 of the AOC of the Russian Federation) for deliberately presenting false personal information or false documents during the migration registration process. The proposed penalty is a fine of 15 to 20 times the MROT, with possible deportation from the Russian Federation.
• If the hosting party presents false information about a foreign or stateless citizen during the migration registration process, a penalty will be imposed on such party: penalty for individual Russian citizens - 15 to 25 times the MROT, for management - 40 to 70 times the MROT, and for legal entities - 200 to 700 times the MROT.