Tatarstan starts hunting for migrant taxi drivers
How is the operation “Foreign driver” going?
The implementation of the decree banning migrants from working in taxis has been put under strict control: a traffic police operation called “Foreign Driver” has begun in Tatarstan. The purpose of the event is to identify illegal taxi workers. According to Realnoe Vremya, in just two hours of work at one point, traffic police officers stopped three migrants without Russian driving licence — now violators will face a fine of 5 to 15 thousand rubles. Read the details in the material of the publication.
Traffic police records up to 10 illegal migrant taxi drivers per day
The operation “Foreign Driver” is coming to an end in Tatarstan — it runs from March 4 to March 13. As part of the raids, traffic police officers identify migrants who illegally carry out passenger or cargo transportation activities.
“According to the decree of the rais of Tatarstan, foreign citizens are prohibited from operating in taxis in our country. Accordingly, we stop and check taxi drivers. In case of identification of foreign citizens who do not have a Russian national identity card, we draw up a protocol," Police Major Pavel Nazarov, head of the technical supervision department of the Kazan traffic police, told reporters.
Then the violator is handed over to the staff of the migration department to be brought to administrative responsibility — the fine is from 5 to 15 thousand rubles. If during the inspection it turns out that a foreign citizen is staying in Russia in violation of the law, then the issue of his expulsion is considered.
Nazarov noted that violators are caught during every raid. Up to ten migrants are identified during one such check.
“Major violations recorded are driving a vehicle by a person who does not have a Russian driver's license. They carry out activities without a trip ticket, without a technical inspection of transport, sometimes they make changes to the design without the approval of the traffic police, and in general, violations of the rules of passenger transportation: lack of permits, licenses," Nazarov said.
He drives a week in Kazan without a Russian license
As the head of the department informed Realnoe Vremya, according to the results of recent two-hour raid, traffic police officers compiled more than 20 administrative materials regarding taxi drivers. Three of them are migrants and do not have a Russian driver's license. Protocols have also been drawn up in relation to Russian citizens — they concerned non-compliance with traffic safety rules. For example, a passenger was not seatbelted.
One of the foreign taxi drivers who was brought into administrative proceedings that day was a migrant from Uzbekistan. He arrived in Kazan only two weeks ago.
As the foreigner told reporters, he plans to take the Russian language exam on March 19, and then get a patent and work on a construction site. However, until then, he needs money until then, so he has been working as a taxi driver for a week now. However, with an Uzbek driver's license.
The Uzbek citizen has been taxing in his homeland for about 10 years. He admitted that he knew about the new laws, but decided to take a chance.
At the same time, they you comply with all laws and have a Russian residence permit and national rights, they can safely work in a taxi. Thus, a Tajik citizen has been taxing in Kazan for eight years, he told reporters.
Tightening of migration legislation
In early January, Tatarstan banned foreign citizens who have patents from working in certain fields, including in taxis. The decree was signed by the rais of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov. The ban on hiring such workers will be in effect until December 31, 2025.
According to the document, the restrictions will affect areas such as taxi, financial services, accounting and veterinary medicine. Here is the full list:
- transportation of hazardous goods;
- activities of passenger taxis and rented passenger cars with drivers;
- financial services activities;
- insurance;
- legal and accounting activities;
- veterinary activity;
- activities of security services, including private ones;
- activities related to the organisation and conduct of gambling and betting, organisation and conduct of lotteries;
- repair of computers, personal items and household items.
Business organisations will be given three months to adapt and reduce the number of foreign workers.
The course towards stricter migration legislation in Russia was taken after the events of March 2024, when the tragedy occurred at Crocus City Hall. However, the proposal to ban the work of migrants was submitted to the State Duma much earlier — in October 2023. Back then, the restrictions only applied to schools, taxis, and medical facilities.
“The implementation of the bill will make it possible to stop the increase in migrants in these sectors of the economy by providing additional jobs to Russian citizens," the explanatory note said.
The Magadan region was the first to introduce this practice — restrictions were introduced here a month after the proposal of the State Duma. By 2024, the idea has already been supported in a dozen regions: Kaliningrad, Kaluga, Kurgan, Novosibirsk, Tula, Tyumen and Chelyabinsk regions, as well as in Yugra and Yakutia.
Restrictions in the field of transport have become one of the most common. The Kaluga region was the first to apply it back in 2022, a year before the bill was submitted to the Duma.
