The State Duma proposed a reward for information about migrants

Members of the Russian parliament are discussing mechanisms for rewarding information about migrant violations.

Members of the State Duma from the “New People” faction have appealed to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Vladimir Kolokoltsev, with a proposal to implement a mechanism for paying monetary rewards to citizens for providing reliable information about violations of migration legislation by foreign citizens. This was reported by the official publication of the State Duma, “Parliamentary Newspaper”.

The appeal suggests considering the possibility of implementing a mechanism for paying monetary rewards to citizens for providing reliable information about violations of migration legislation by foreign citizens, such as “the presence in the country of individuals without necessary registration at their place of residence, without a work patent, without a valid visa, etc.”

The authors of the initiative also proposed increasing the fine from the current 2,000-7,000 rubles to 100,000 rubles in cases where a decision is made to administratively deport a foreign citizen.

Additionally, the deputies of the “New People” faction proposed confiscating all property of illegal migrants for the benefit of the state, and transferring half of the income received by the state from the 100,000 ruble fine and property confiscation as a reward to the “informant”.

This, in the opinion of the deputies, will provide citizens with a financial incentive to actively report to law enforcement about instances of illegal presence in the country.

Previously, State Duma deputy Sergey Karginoff proposed paying Russians 100,000 rubles for information about the illegal residence of migrants in apartments.

Experts in the field of migration note that if this law is passed, the number of false complaints about migrants may significantly increase in hopes of receiving monetary rewards, which could intensify anti-migrant and xenophobic sentiments in Russian society.

Even without the adoption of this law, radical groups, such as the far-right nationalist organization “Russian Community,” have become more active in many regions of Russia. They conduct so-called “citizen patrols,” checking documents primarily based on appearance, treating foreign citizens harshly, especially those from Central Asia, and posting their videos on social media. The adoption of this law could legitimize such actions.