Clearing the snow in Moscow’s Red Square.
Increasingly this kind of job is being done by non-Russian migrants.
At this unofficial labour exchange outside Moscow, many men are from Tajikistan, the poorest of the former Soviet republics.
Migrants are playing an increasing role in the Russian economy.
Viktor Zabelin: President, Russian Construction Association
The reserves of labour force that we have in our country will not be able to cover the fast growing tempo of construction. That’s why we have to attract more people and that means we will have to attract a migrant labour force.
Falling birth rates will mean that the Russian labour force will soon be shrinking at the rate of a million workers a year.
The International Labour Organization estimates there are up to five million irregular migrant workers in Russia.
They’re often exploited.
Savridin, from Tajikstan, did two months building work on this house, but didn’t get paid. When he asked for his wages, his employer called the police.
Savridin
I must say I was abused, just because we have done all the work properly, you can see the work we have done, and they told us “get away”, so I have been abused and I think it’s inhuman.
Out of 116 000 sites inspected by the Federal Migration Service, 93 000 employers were found to have broken the law. The government has increased fines for hiring workers illegally.
Dr Mikhail Tyurkin, deputy director, Federal Migration Service
Other countries sometimes complain that we strengthen the rules regarding migrants from the former soviet republics, that we deport them. But these people do not observe the rules, they are staying here illegally, and we answer that we stick to the legislation.
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The authorities are also increasing the number of work permits they issue. For migrants are providing manpower for rebuilding Russia.