Police conducted a major migration raid in central St. Petersburg, checking the documents of more than 150 foreign nationals.
The Main Directorate of the Russian Interior Ministry for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region announced the operation's results on September 7.
The checks were carried out on Krasnogo Tekstilshchika Street. Officers from the Migration Affairs Directorate, the Special Police Regiment and the State Traffic Inspectorate took part in the raid.
The main objective of the operation was to check whether foreign nationals were complying with Russian migration laws.
Officers checked 156 foreign nationals and 117 vehicles
According to police, law enforcement officers checked a total of 156 foreign nationals.
Police and State Traffic Inspectorate officers also checked 117 vehicles.
The checks covered the foreigners' documents, the legality of their presence in the Russian Federation and compliance with the established residence rules.
The Interior Ministry said the checks were also accompanied by preventive discussions and explanations of the requirements of Russian law.
Reports were drawn up against 22 foreign nationals
Violations of migration laws were identified among 22 foreign nationals during the raid.
Administrative reports were drawn up against them under Article 18.8 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, which establishes liability for violations by a foreign national or stateless person of the rules for entering the Russian Federation or the regime governing residence or stay in the country.
The sanctions under this article include a fine and, in some cases, administrative expulsion from the Russian Federation.
However, the authorities did not say that all 22 foreign nationals would be expelled from Russia. For now, the matter concerns administrative materials drawn up following the inspection.
Violations were also identified among drivers
Alongside the migration checks, State Traffic Inspectorate officers monitored compliance with traffic rules.
Following the raid, another 10 drivers were held administratively liable for various traffic violations.
Thus, the operation covered not only checks of the migration status of foreign nationals but also vehicles in the area where the raid took place.
Why was the raid held on Krasnogo Tekstilshchika Street?
Krasnogo Tekstilshchika Street is an important location for foreign nationals processing documents in St. Petersburg.
The Unified Document Center and Interior Ministry units dealing with migration issues are located at this address.
As a result, foreign nationals regularly visit the area to address matters related to their stay, employment and the processing of necessary documents in Russia.
Migration checks continue
Russian law enforcement agencies regularly conduct similar operations in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.
The main objectives of such raids are to identify violations of the rules governing foreign nationals' entry and stay, check documents and prevent violations of migration laws.
The latest raid on Krasnogo Tekstilshchika Street was one of the most notable operations of this kind in St. Petersburg in recent days.
Police checked a total of 156 foreign nationals and 117 vehicles, while administrative reports were drawn up against 22 foreign nationals.
The Interior Ministry emphasizes that preventive measures related to migration laws are conducted regularly.
