Russian authorities target markets for violating migrant employment rules

The Russian Interior Ministry has announced that markets across the country risk facing fines or temporary shutdowns in 2025 if they are found to be unlawfully employing foreign labour. 

The warning is part of a policy enforcement drive detailed in official materials from the Main Directorate for Migration Affairs, reviewed by Russian media.

Authorities clarified that legal responsibility for hiring undocumented foreign workers doesn’t rest solely with individual employers. It also extends to other involved parties as defined by Russian legislation, most notably the legal entities that manage or own the marketplaces.

According to the Interior Ministry, Article 14 of the law On Retail Markets and Amendments to the Labor Code of the Russian Federation places the obligation on market management companies to ensure that all tenants — whether renting stalls, storage areas, administrative offices, or any other type of space — comply with Russia’s rules on the employment of foreign nationals and stateless persons.

Each year, the Russian government sets sector-specific quotas for the allowable share of foreign labour. For 2025, the permitted proportion of foreign workers in retail trade at temporary structures and markets has been fixed at zero per cent.

“If a market violates this regulation, the managing company will be held accountable in accordance with Russian law, specifically under Article 18.16 of the Code of Administrative Offences,” the ministry emphasised. This article deals with violations in the employment of foreign nationals and stateless individuals in trading facilities.

The penalties for such infractions can be severe. They include fines ranging from 3,000 ($37) to 800,000 rubles ($10,000) and the possibility of business operations being suspended for a period ranging from 14 to 90 days.

By Tamilla Hasanova