Moscow to Set Up Volunteer Patrols to Enforce Immigration Law

MOSCOW, February 12 (RIA Novosti) - Special volunteer patrols will be created in Moscow to assist the Federal Migration Service (FMS) with enforcing immigration rules, Alexei Mayorov, the head of the Moscow city government regional security department, said on Tuesday.

The volunteer groups will help monitor compliance with immigration laws, the legitimacy of migrants’ residence and employment permits, participate in city patrols, check documents and detain illegal immigrants together with FMS officers.

Checks will be conducted on a daily basis at construction sites, outdoor markets, railway terminals and other spots across the city “popular” with migrants, Mayorov said.

FMS Moscow Department chief Olga Kirillova said patrol members will wear special uniforms, he said. The volunteer organization currently numbers some 300 people.

Migration is a contentious issue for Russians. Some social groups are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the growing numbers of foreign workers coming to Russia to live.