Chechnya launches a broad-scale operation against illegal migrants

From March 14 on, employees of law enforcement bodies of Chechnya and the local Department of the Federal Migration Service (DFMS) are running broad-scale actions aimed at revealing illegal migrants. A respective order was given by President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov.

"From Sunday, the territory of our republic is covered by a large-scale action aimed at revealing foreign citizens and stateless persons, who stay here illegally. Checks will be held everywhere," said a spokesman of the republic's law enforcement bodies. "Last year, employees of the DFMS and republic's law enforcers conducted about 900 preventive actions aimed at revealing illegal migrants. Then, 17 foreigners were deported from the territory of the republic; and the total sum of administrative penalties imposed on illegal migrants for breaching the legislation made more than one and a half millions roubles."

According to the source of the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, recent years have seen a sharp growth of the number of illegal migrants. Thus, in 2009, the region registered over 8500 migrants, 3000 more that the year before. Most of them are natives of former Soviet Union republics - Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Georgia and Central Asia. There are also citizens of China and Vietnam. The central marketplace of Grozny, named "Berkat", and the marketplace in the area of the "Novaya" public transport stop in the Staropromyslovskiy District of Grozny have trading facilities, where citizens of China sell their goods.

"Streets of Grozny are full of beggars. Practically all of them are not local residents. Even in heavy war years, we found alms for everybody. But several days ago an incident was registered, when the woman, who is a citizen of one of Central-Asian republics, tried to steal a child. Such cases may happen again, if we don't put things in order and don't demand that everyone who comes to the territory of the republic observes the Russian laws," said Mr Kadyrov.

He has especially noted that this order does not concern employees of foreign companies engaged in building various objects in Grozny and other cities of the republic.