In Russia, the police used drones to hunt for migrants

In the Nizhny Novgorod region, as part of the operation “Illegal Migrant,” police used drones to identify areas where foreigners gather.

According to Russian media, the police used drones as an additional method to check locations, as well as to cover a larger area and effectively inspect sites where migrants traditionally work, particularly industrial and construction sites, trade organizations, and public catering establishments. 

After detecting foreign workers at these sites using a drone, the police would arrive and check their documents.

In total, law enforcement checked the documents of 66 foreign citizens and identified 17 violations of migration legislation.

According to the police, by court order, all violators were fined 2,000 rubles. Three migrants were placed in the Temporary Detention Center for Foreign Citizens of the regional Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The issue of their deportation is being resolved.

An administrative investigation has been initiated against employers who hired illegal migrants.

Recently, raids against foreign workers have been increasingly conducted in all regions of Russia. However, this is the first case where law enforcement agencies used unmanned aerial vehicles to target labor migrants.

In recent years, anti-migrant sentiments have intensified in Russia. Law enforcement frequently conducts raids in public places, detaining migrants and forcibly sending them to fight in Ukraine. Additionally, lawmakers have proposed and adopted a number of laws aimed at tightening the rules for the stay and employment of migrants.

Experts believe that this significant shift in Russia’s migration policy occurs against the backdrop of the acute need of the Russian economy for foreign labor, particularly in construction, housing and communal services, agriculture, and logistics. Previously, Russian employers expressed concern that tightening migration policy could lead to difficulties in attracting labor.