30.04.08

The Federal Migration Service of Moscow has doubled the number of their inspections, and they are dealing out harsher fines. In the first quarter of 2007, they fined 633 employers (with an average fine of about 50,000 rubles), while in January-March 2008, they fined 1,313 employers (with an average fine of 217,800 rubles). The amount of inspectors has been increased, say Moscow FMS officials, from 70 to 350.

The range of fines that officials are able to impose on businesses for employing illegal aliens is fairly wide: from 250,000 to 800,000 rubles. The average fine for 2008 was 568,000 rubles.

This year, the Moscow FMS is recording fewer violations by employers in markets and in the housing and public utilities spheres; instead, the majority of fines are being dealt to construction companies, restaurants, cafes, and stores. In calculating the size of a fine, officials are guided by the "paying ability" of the company. The maximum punishment for this type of crime is a three-month suspension of operations (for hiring foreign workers without notification).

The heavy fines have caused companies to pay greater attention to the law, experts note. Some companies have formed special departments for handling foreign workers' registration.

Others are outsourcing these services to companies such as Alinga Consulting Group.

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