New Bill in Russia to Prohibit Entry of Labor Migrants' Families

A bill to ban the entry of immigrant families into Russia has been presented to the State Duma by a group of deputies from the "Just Russia – For Truth" (SRZP) party, led by the party's leader Sergey Mironov, reports Kommersant. The presence of immigrant working families in Russia places a "significant burden" on the Russian budgetary system, according to the explanatory note of the Just Russia – For Truth party’s initiative.

Family members of migrants benefit from education, healthcare, and social security systems. At the same time, the revenue from migrants' work permits does not compensate for the budgetary expenses, emphasize the authors of the document. They propose an exception only for citizens of Belarus who are highly qualified foreign specialists.

Deputies from the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), justifying their proposal, have also noted that labor migrants who seek higher economic growth often bring their unemployed relatives with them. Moreover, migrants frequently find work in Russia without signing contracts, and illegal migration flows lead to "social tension" and an increase in crime rates, the legislators pointed out.

However, the LDPR initiative, as stated on the party's official website, has encountered "complete misunderstanding" from the authorities. Meanwhile, the liberal democrats reminded citizens of crimes related to migrants and "settlement scores between diasporas," urging them to support the bill by leaving relevant online statements on the website. According to the site's data, the number of citizens who have endorsed the initiative has already surpassed 440,000.