Russia Moves to Tighten Labor Migration Rules from Former Soviet States

Russian lawmakers met with President Vladimir Putin in early October 2006 to discuss tightening immigration controls on workers arriving from former Soviet republics, the speaker of the State Duma announced afterward.

Boris Gryzlov, the lower house speaker, said legislation governing migration would need to be revised. He pointed to Georgia, currently at odds with Moscow diplomatically, noting that fewer than 1 percent of Georgians entering Russia carried valid work visas.

Gryzlov argued that Russian workers risked being displaced in the labor market by foreign nationals, most of whom he claimed were working illegally. Legislative changes could begin moving forward as soon as the following week, he said.

Putin framed the issue in terms of public confidence, saying the migrant flow must be managed so that Russian citizens do not feel their employment prospects are threatened by foreign competition.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in October 2006, in its own words.