Mandatory state dactyloscopic registration while obtaining a work permit

30 January 2013

Starting this year, all* foreign nationals with visa-free entry to Russia who are obtaining permits to work in Russia, are required to undergo a "mandatory state dactyloscopic registration", or simply- to undergo the procedure of fingerprinting.

According to official's statements, the measure will allow to control labour migration more effectively as well as to fight against crimes committed by foreign nationals.  In addition, in the case of loss of previously obtained work permit by a foreign national, a database of fingerprints will easily identify his personality and allow to have the lost documents re-issued.

Decision of creating such database is definitely the right one, but at the same time several questions arise:

• Why this procedure is only for foreigners with visa-free entry to Russia? Don't those who cross the border of the Russian Federation on visa basis do not lose documents or do not commit crimes?

• Why only those who are obtaining a work permit have to be fingerprinted? After all, according to the statistics, every year about 2 million foreign citizens come to Moscow for different purposes, and the quota for work permits in 2013 was just over 100,000; i.e. only about 5% of foreign nationals will undergo dactyloscopy procedure. What kind of control is it in this case?

• The Federal law which introduces obligations on dactyloscopy dates May 2010. The law states that the amendments will enter into force in January 2013  (i.e. as much as 3 years for preparation) However, in January 2013 it turns out that the Migration Service in Moscow does not have enough scanners for fingerprinting ... Why is that?

* – foreign national highly qualified specialists are exempt from the dactyloscopy procedure.