Quoten 2009

The 4th of December in live broadcast of program “Conversation with Vladimir Putin” prime minister stated that in view of the difficult situation on the Russian working market it is expedient to decrease quotas for the attraction of foreign specialists. And already the 9th of December, according to the communication “RIA news”, the corresponding decision was signed.

Consequently, in 2009 the Ministry of Social Development [Minzdravsotsrazvitiya] will be able to propose to government to reduce the quotas of working migrants. At the same time, the reserve of quota was increased from thirty to fifty percent. Where this decision leads to is difficult to say. Indeed in 2008 quota to 1.8 million people was exhausted already to the autumn, and it was necessary to increase it to 3.4 millions. Therefore in October in 2009 according to the forecasts quota 3.7 — 3.9 million people was assumed.

The current system of quotas which allows the employers to decide by themselves about the quantity of the foreign specialists when making the orders at the Public Health Ministry, is working since 2008. It needs an overpatching – for example, today even the companies which have not applied for the quotas can employ the working migrants. By what they reduce the quota for the companies who have applied for it.

Some of policy consider that similar measures can negatively affect the state of the Russian market for labor and economy as a whole.

The President of international association “Working migration”, the member of public chamber with the Russian Federal Migration Service Nikolai Kurdyumov in the interview to Baltic information agency stated: “At present the relationship of legal and illegal migrants in Russia – approximately one to three. If Russian government goes for the reduction of quotas, the total quantity of guest workers in the country will not change – indeed the crisis now is not only in Russia. Simply the quantity of illegal workers will become considerably more, which destabilizes the economy”.

From other side – can begin the draining of professionals, who desire to work legally, but those not received the corresponding permission.