We drive away all immigrants and we will live?
Photo: Yulia PYKHALOVA
The other day a courier brought me an order that was not mine. And at the same time I couldn’t clearly connect two words in Russian. These situations are certainly annoying.
Linguistic difficulties in the “I don’t understand that what’s mine is yours” category are just minor problems. According to statistics from the Ministry of the Interior, crime among immigrants has increased by 25% in the last three years. And only in 2022, according to the Attorney General’s Office, 10%.
How will we combat this scourge? Several State Duma deputies and regional officials offer a well-known recipe: expel these immigrants from here with a broom! It is true that not from everywhere, but mainly from certain “sensitive social areas”, such as public transport. Help to?
COME OUT BEHIND THE STEEL!
A new madness took hold of our officials just a week or two ago. Regions, one after another, began to adopt laws and regulations that introduced work bans for visitors from other states, in public catering, trade and transport (see “KP Help”).
The reasons for all regional laws are approximately the same: it is necessary to ensure employment security and benefits for Russian citizens. Local bans on immigrants often appeared after some high-profile incidents. For example, in Yakutia, after conflicts between locals and Kyrgyz, which began with the rape of a local resident by a guest worker. He came to the protest demonstrations against whom they turned out in large numbers.
And in Kaluga, the governor’s visit to the local migration center caused a stir. There, the head of the region, Vladimir Shapsha, honestly tried to communicate with his clients, but failed: holders of certificates of knowledge of the Russian language (necessary to work in Russia) did not understand a word of Russian …
Help “KP”
Photo: Dmitry POLUKHIN
FIVE PERCENT IS ENOUGH
They want to “do something about it” not only at the local level, but also in the State Duma. In October, a group of deputies presented a bill amending the law on the legal status of foreigners in the Russian Federation. It is expected to be reviewed in December. It is proposed to introduce a complete ban on immigrant labor at the federal level in areas where, as the explanatory note says, “unskilled labor by foreign workers can cause more harm than good.” This:
– provision of medical services in institutions and organizations of state and municipal health systems,
– school education (general primary, general basic, general secondary),
– retail trade of medicines,
– passenger taxis and road freight transport (“where there is a particular increase in traffic accidents affecting immigrants, including deaths” – from the explanatory note).
Thats not all. In other areas, deputies would like to limit the permitted proportion of foreign workers: a maximum of 5% of the total number of employees for each type of economic activity. Because “there is an increase in the negative attitude of Russian citizens towards the growing number of unskilled foreign workers, which is associated with the active attraction of additional labor resources to Russia.”
The general pathos is clear: many appreciate illiterate immigrants, who sometimes also cause riots. Yes, and they get irritated by little things, if only because of their unwillingness to behave in another country as it is customary there. And when entire enclaves arise where neither the Russian language nor the usual rules apply… However, the latest bans raise a number of questions. But – in order. Let’s start with economic issues.
DO MIGRANTS COST MORE THAN RUSSIANS?
The authors of the Duma bill put forward an interesting argument in the explanatory note: today “cheap Tajiks” are a myth.
“As of 2020, the income of migrant workers increased by approximately 1.5 times (the average amount of their monthly transfers to their home countries was 48,000 rubles). At the same time, according to Rosstat, the average monthly salary in the same year was estimated at 32,422 rubles. “These data allow us to conclude that in many sectors of the Russian economy guest workers began to earn no less than Russian citizens,” the document says.
Conclusion: migrant labor no longer brings any benefit to the Russian economy; it is better to leave more jobs to the Russians.
But then what’s the point of employers hiring more expensive Tajiks and Kyrgyz if Russians are cheaper? Logic dictates that then no new bills will be needed and the problem will resolve itself.
– The problem will not be solved. Because this calculation comparing the income of immigrants and Russians is incorrect. It does not take into account the number of hours worked. The imaginary wage advantage of visiting workers is based solely on overtime, replies Alexander Safonov, professor at the Financial University. – In most cases, employers do not comply with the legal requirement of an eight-hour working day in relation to immigrants. “Guests” from Central Asia usually work with us in 12- to 14-hour shifts. Naturally, they earn more than in the same profession for an 8-hour workday. And they often work in conditions that the Russians are not very willing to accept. Take the same construction projects…
What are the benefits for employers?
– In most cases, you have to pay less contributions to the Social Fund for them. “They don’t have paid vacations,” Safonov lists. – Yes, and employers usually do not worry as much about their safety as when it comes to Russians. And this list goes on…
Many immigrants read Russian poorly, but they can read it perfectly well and often earn more than Russians. Photo: Frame from the series “Our Russia”
RUSSIANS, AU!
Now let us finally return from the thoughts of the deputies to reality. And let’s arm ourselves with numbers.
According to hh.ru, the demand for drivers in the nine months of this year increased by more than 40% compared to the same months last year. And the number of people willing to find work decreased by 17%. As a result, in some cities the shortage of public transport drivers has already reached 30%, and, for example, in Rostov-on-Don – 50%. Despite the fact that the offered salaries are very decent for the regions: almost up to 80-100 thousand rubles (however, how many hours a day you have to work for this money is usually not specified).
The same goes for heavy truck drivers. There, according to superjob.ru, they cannot find people for 150 thousand a month (again, with reservations about long hours). This is now almost the rarest profession in the country.
One of the reasons cited by experts is the departure of immigrants from this area. This is related to the legislative tightening for drivers, in which it has become more difficult for foreigners to adapt (an example is the new law on taxis). The same goes for the fall in the ruble exchange rate.
As for the Russians, there is no queue for the same reasons as in other areas: a demographic hole. And the young people out there have slightly different career priorities. Well, Russians do not want to work en masse as bus and truck drivers. Perhaps with the exception of yesterday’s immigrants who have already obtained Russian citizenship.
– If everything were good in our labor market, there would no longer be quotas to attract immigrants everywhere. But we simply need people to ensure the functioning of construction sites, housing and communal services. In the industry we are now also forced to attract a large number of immigrants,” says Alexander Safonov.
Only numbers
Photo: Dmitry POLUKHIN
A BAN IS BAD THAT YOU CANNOT ENTER TWICE
By the way, about quotas. You will probably be surprised, but in our country there are already restrictions on migrant labor, which local officials and Duma deputies are increasingly advocating. Each year, the government at the federal level approves the percentage of foreign workers that can be attracted to a particular field. Taking into account the situation of the labor market and the presence of its own Russian personnel.
We read the resolution adopted for 2024 (see “KP Help”). The largest share is in construction, up to 80%. And, for example, for the retail trade of medicines – zero. That is, immigrants are strictly prohibited from working in pharmacies. Tent and market trade is also nil. Taxis and urban passenger transport (yes, those same taxi drivers and bus drivers) – no more than 24%. There are exceptions for several regions. Additionally, regions have the right to adjust quotas if necessary.
Why then are additional restrictions needed?
“I see absolute populism in these bans,” migration expert Vadim Kozhenov said on Komsomolskaya Pravda radio. – But this topic has a good answer. Loud headlines will appear in the press, officials may report that an important issue has been raised.
There is also that version.
– As a rule, the problems of migration policy begin to be discussed especially hotly during election campaigns. Many political associations use immigration issues to popularize their electoral proposals. After all, immigrants do not participate in electoral campaigns. Therefore, you can safely criticize them, trying to gain some preferences, says a member of the Council of the President of the Russian Federation for Interethnic Relations, a member of the Advisory Council of Experts on Migration Issues of the Main Directorate for Migration Affairs. of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, professor of the Department of Public Administration and Political Technologies of the Vladimir Volokh State University of Management.
In fact, the “enemy image” of migrants is beautiful; will find some kind of answer in everyone’s heart. There he is, right outside the window, standing in the middle of a yard full of snowdrifts, leaning on a shovel, chatting like crazy on his cell phone. No, the snow has finally been removed!
Russia really needs additional workers in the housing and communal services system, as well as in construction and industry.
Photo: Evgenia GUSEVA
BY THE WAY
“Immigrants need educated people who know the traditions of Russia”
But there is a problem!
– Russia certainly needs immigrants. But educated, qualified, law-abiding and knowledgeable about the history, laws, traditions and culture of Russia. And on November 1, 2023, Rosobrnadzor revealed violations in all 14 universities where exams are held for immigrants to obtain Russian citizenship, residence permits and work permits (immigrants take an exam in Russian as a foreign language, the history of Russia and the foundations of legislation of the Russian Federation), laments Alexander Mitryuk, member of the Russian Bar Association, expert of the RF OP Commission on Interethnic, Interreligious Relations and Migration.
And remember the police raids, which sometimes end in extortion and other violations; on numerous arrests of former and current employees of the migration services at different levels on charges of corruption…
In general, it is clear how additional bans could end in such a situation. If only the migrant had some money. Well, illegal migration, including labor migration, has not been canceled. And this is a much worse situation in terms of security and possible crime than when immigrants work officially, under a contract, which implies at least some responsibility towards them on the part of the employer.
– There is no need to get carried away by restrictions and prohibitions; It is necessary to comply with the existing laws and regulations, which the country has adopted in sufficient quantity in the field of migration. And also establish accounting and control in a modern way,” says Alexander Mitryuk.
The “modern framework” is, for example, to fingerprint all immigrants instead of trying to track them through police raids.
The Ministry of the Interior continues to think about a “controlled stay” for “illegal” immigrants. They, as proposed in another bill, will not be able to get a driver’s license, drive a car, send and receive money… But this is a separate topic.
THE NAIS IS OFFICIAL EDITOR ON NAIS NEWS