Russia's Federation Council approved a bill classifying as an especially grave crime the organization of illegal migration committed by an organized group or with the aim of perpetrating grave or especially grave crimes.
Under the bill, these crimes will be punishable with a prison term of eight to 15 years, a fine from 3 million to 5 million rubles, and a ban on holding certain positions for up to 10 years. Currently, the maximum penalty for such offenses is 7 years' imprisonment, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said.
The bill also introduces mandatory minimum liability in order to ensure proportionality and inevitability of punishment. The absence of minimum limits to jail terms in the current version of the article results in a situation where criminal penalty may be disproportionate, an explanatory note to the bill said.
The bill also proposes enacting tougher penalties for offenders counterfeiting or forging documents or handling forged documents, as well as for anyone facilitating sham registration of foreign nationals. Any offender committing such crimes will face two to six years in jail under the bill.
The adoption of this legislation will contribute to measures to counter organization of illegal migration and toughen penalties for such criminal offenses, helping ensure public safety, Volodin said.
