Refugees do not have to obtain a work permit in Russia

Refugees are exempted from the need to obtain a work permit in Russia. Relevant amendments were adopted to the law “On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation”. According to the FMS, this innovation will not aggravate the competition on the labor market in Russia, since a relatively small number of refugees will be spread out over 50 regions of the country.

According to FMS, a work permit will significantly speed up the social adaptation of foreigners on the territory of Russia. In fact, on the level of labor rights they will be assimilated to the Russian citizens, except for the areas in which it is prohibited to draw foreign nationals to work.

“The access to the labor market for refugees will allow them to ensure their stay in the territory of Russia, and promote their social adaptation, since the legislation of the Russian Federation does not provided any payments from the federal budget”, – noted in the department.

According to estimates of the Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation, the number of applications for the corresponding status in 2014 increased almost by 20 times compared with the same period in the past. Mostly the citizens of Ukraine and Syria request refugee status.

So, from March to May we have already received more than 2,600 of such requests from citizens of Ukraine, whereas there were only five of such appeals in 2013.

According to official statistics, at present on the territory of Russia there are over six hundred refugees from around the world and nearly 3,000 foreign nationals were granted temporary asylum.