Rights defenders: in preparation for Sochi Olympics rights of over 1500 migrant workers were violated

In Moscow, human rights activists have presented the report "Sochi Olympics at Any Cost", which is based on numerous complaints about violations of migrant workers' rights in preparation of Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. The reception office of the network "Migration and Law" of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" in Sochi was addressed by more than 1500 migrant workers, whose rights had been violated. Human rights activists hope that the organizers of the Football World Cup, to be held in Russia in 2018, will take into account the lessons of the Olympics.

The report was prepared by the HRC "Memorial" and the Committee "Civil Assistance" based on the applications received by the "Migration and Law" in Sochi in the period from 2012 to 2014.

The authors put into the forefront not the financial losses of migrant workers, but humanity issues. In particular, Semyon Simonov, the coordinator of the reception office of the network "Migration and Law" in Sochi, told the story of a builder, an Uzbek, whose wife died during his stay in Russia, and the man had no money to fly to the funeral.

His numerous appeals to the employer to pay at least part of his salary were unsuccessful; and then he began to beg for money.

Other identified problems include hard working conditions of migrant workers, illegal detentions, and inhuman and degrading treatment.

A separate section of the report is entitled "Threats to employees" because workers are afraid to go to law enforcement bodies and human rights organizations.

Let us remind you that according to human rights activists, in March, after the Games in Sochi, the builders' salary debts still exceeded 30 million roubles.