Matviyenko called for holding employers responsible for invited migrants

Statement by the Federation Council Speaker

Employers who invite foreign nationals to work in Russia must bear responsibility for them. This was stated by Federation Council Chairperson Valentina Matviyenko at a plenary session, reports Life.ru. According to her, Russia, through employers, must create conditions for migrants so that they have rights, duties and responsibilities defined by law, so that they live in decent conditions and receive a proper wage which, as she noted, used to be taken away by organizers of illegal migration.

Requirements for both sides

Matviyenko emphasized that foreign workers must be provided with decent living conditions and lawful pay, while the workers themselves must observe the rules established in the country and fulfill their duties. Thus, in her formulation, responsibility is implied on both sides: the employer is responsible for conditions, the migrant for compliance with the rules.

The scale of the problem according to the Interior Ministry

Context for the figures is provided by Interior Ministry statistics cited by Life.ru with reference to the ministry's head Vladimir Kolokoltsev: as of October 1, there were about 6.5 million migrants in Russia. The share of foreign nationals engaged in legal labor activity rose from 45% to 50%, whereas ten years ago this figure was only 25%.

What this changes

Matviyenko's statement so far remains a position voiced at a plenary session: the publication does not report any adopted decisions or submitted bills. The practical significance lies in the announced redistribution of responsibility — oversight of migrants' working and living conditions is proposed to be assigned to the employers through whom the invitations are issued. Sources do not report any specific mechanisms or timelines.