A new law that comes into force this week will see virtually all foreigners living in Russia, even young children, required to take a battery of tests on a regular basis to avoid falling foul of the immigration authorities, in a move unprecedented virtually anywhere in the world. Under the rules, which take effect from Wednesday, foreign nationals must submit a quarterly health certificate that proves they aren’t suffering from communicable diseases or taking drugs.
As part of the process, those living in the country who are not Russian or Belarusian citizens, and do not hold permanent or temporary residence permits, will have to attend a clinic every three months and pay for blood tests, sexual health checks, urine analysis, and even chest X-rays. Foreigners will also have to submit fingerprints and identity photos for official records. Only children under the age of six are exempted.
Adding to the complexity, a number of examinations will also have to be undertaken at specialist government tuberculosis and addiction clinics and, for those in Moscow, the results will have to be handed in – in person – to the Sakharovo migration center, around two and a half hours on public transport from the heart of the capital. Those who refuse can see their visas revoked or not renewed.
A controversial plan
The amendment introducing the restrictive new measures was backed by Russia’s parliament over the summer, but only fully explained publicly a few weeks ago. A letter accompanying it said the changes were justified by the need to prevent the “infiltration and spread of dangerous infectious diseases in Russia.” However, the scientific evidence for testing young children for syphilis and subjecting them to medically unnecessary radiation four times a year has not yet been released, and similar public health policies have never been tried elsewhere in the world. Furthermore, given Russia has far higher domestic rates of diseases like tuberculosis and HIV than most Western nations, the rationale for regularly testing foreigners and not expanding the domestic screening of citizens is unclear. Many familiar with bureaucratic processes and medical examinations in Russia fear that the processes of undergoing tests and submitting the paperwork will take a day each, particularly given the sudden dramatic increase on administrative infrastructure.
The country’s so-called ‘expat’ community has been vocal in its opposition to the law, with a number of business groups lining up to warn that it will destroy the country’s hopes at competing for highly skilled migrants. “It’s been a long time since a single legislative act has caused such a huge wave of misunderstanding, frustration and indignation among thousands of foreign managers,” Matthias Schepp, the chairman of the board of the Russian-German Chamber of Foreign Trade blasted. An appeal from ten separate trade bodies, including the US Chamber of Commerce, has asked for the measures to be revisited, exempting specialist workers from the rules.