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Is it Necessary to Battle Illegal Migration?

ILydia Grafova, chairperson of the executive committee of the international public movement �forum of migratory organizations� commented.

The message on involving the movement "Locals" (Mestnye) in the struggle against foreign workers has caused in me bewilderment and even alarm. I shall necessarily try to talk to heads of the Federal Migration Service (FMS) that it is a rather dangerous way of resolving a complex problem. Despite the just purposes which �Locals� declare, among them, certainly, there can be active "fighters against illegals�, like skinheads. Also, it is inadmissible that the state involved them as partners. Not even mentioning that "Locals" carried out the provocative action (have ostensibly employed, cornered and detained) simply stinks. I was troubled with the statement made by the head of the FMS, Konstantin Romodanovsky, who was quoted by "Kommersant� as saying that his department prefers to cooperate not with the Movement Against Illegal Immigration (DPNI), and with "Local" because they are "more reasonable people". I do not think, that in general it is necessary to talk about DPNI in such a way: More reasonable - less reasonable... It is known, that many actions of this organization contradict the law and with them it is necessary to understand the judicial order.

Authorities recently show a special concern in growth of xenophobia, cases of violence "with an ethnic tone�. It turns out however, that this in itself creates a fertile field for blossoming xenophobia. The header "Time to fly south ", was unfurled by �Locals" at the ending of the action on the Yaroslavl highway, and this means, as a matter of fact,: " Migrants, get out of Russia! " I was told that Romodanovsky personally ripped this poster. But a signal "get out of Russia!� was heard. And he heard this along with millions citizens of abroad which already work or would like to work at the blessing of our country. It contradicts the new migratory policy declared by the state which is attractive to compatriots. Such actions in Russia will simply frighten them off: people will prefer to go to work in other countries, like Kazakhstan, where with migrants are treated with more respect.

Our organization convinced the government long ago that �the best way to fight illegal migration is to legalize it.� It is very insulting, that the liberalization of the migratory legislation which began on January 15 this year, has not carried out a wide information campaign and immigration amnesty for those who already been working for a long time in Russia, but could not be legalized earlier because of inconsistent legislation and bureaucratic obstacles. It is necessary to struggle not against illegal migrants and from their preventing legalization by corruption, firms maintain. Probably, it is required to increase the numbers of employees of migratory service... And only when legalization becomes valid accessible is it possible to take any police measures.

The action in which "Local" was engaged was police-related. And there is the question of whether or not state bodies should engage citizens in the struggle with illegals? The question is not so simple. For example, in Germany, denunciation is recognized as a civil feat, virtuous even if it is directed towards resolving any public problems. We are kind of moving in the same channel. However, to involve citizens in the fight against law-breakers is safe in countries where there is a civil society. For us it is a risky action. It is necessary to understand, all the same, a difference between German citizens and our �Locals". I do not believe in the civil virtue of "Locals" from which, alas, anything is possible. The word "catching" with reference to migrants continually emerged nonchalantly in messages at the event on the Yaroslavl highway. Usually this term is used when the question is in regards regulating the number of stray dogs.



Source: �Izbrannoe�



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