The Russian Ministry of Labor has heard BRICS Mobility

Natalia Vershinina, Head of BRICS Mobility, proposed a number of initiatives during the discussion of migration reform held on July 29 in Moscow at a meeting of the OPORA RUSSIA expert group. The meeting was devoted to a comprehensive review of draft laws from the Ministry of Internal Affairs on the experimental organization of organized recruitment of foreign workers. Representatives of the business community, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Labor, and experts discussed the key changes that will take effect on January 1, 2027.

Discussion level: high.

The meeting was chaired by OPORA RUSSIA President Alexander Kalinin and Presidium member Sergey Nuzhdin. Pavel Dutov, Head of the Department for Regulation of External Labor Migration at the Migration Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a key developer of the draft laws on organized recruitment, participated in the discussion. Also present was Gennady Sedakov, Deputy Director of the Department of Employment and Labor Migration at the Ministry of Labor. The participation of representatives from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Labor underscored the importance of the meeting for coordinating the positions of businesses and regulators before the next package of bills is submitted to the Russian Government in August. Key points: the documents under discussion are not becoming more complex; changes will be introduced gradually; and the experiment on organized recruitment is planned to be launched as a pilot in one district, rather than in 87 regions as originally planned.

BRICS Mobility proposes

Natalia Vershinina presented initiatives aimed at protecting the interests of businesses and Russian workers. One of them is to introduce a special working hours regime for foreign workers recruited through organized recruitment. Another is to consider the possibility of introducing a mechanism for reimbursing employers for the costs of recruiting foreign workers through organized recruitment (providing for the possibility of paying a portion of the incentive payments after reimbursing the employer for documented expenses incurred in recruiting a foreign worker, subject to the voluntary consent of the parties, as stipulated in the employment contract). Currently, these costs are borne entirely by the employer. According to Natalia Vershinina, equalizing pay for Russian and foreign employees is unjustified, since when hiring a compatriot, the employer does not spend money on housing, food, and registration. The Ministry of Labor has heard these proposals and is considering them.

Digitalization and a new license for employment agencies

The bill proposes to automate the document flow for the registration of migrant workers, which will simplify the interaction between employers and government agencies. Furthermore, licensing is being introduced for private employment agencies, in addition to accreditation. This should purge the market of unscrupulous intermediaries, leaving only those who operate according to the rules. BRICS Mobility, accredited by Rostrud, fully supports this change. The meeting confirmed that business and government are listening to each other. The proposals voiced at the meeting will be summarized to develop a consolidated business position and further work on improving legislation.