In Russia’s Tomsk oblast, migrants are banned from working in taxis, public catering and stores.

Tomsk Governor Vladimir Mazur signed a decree restricting the activities of labor migrants in the region, starting from November 1.  

As Mazur reported on his Telegram channel on July 18, this issue was discussed “at the anti-terrorism commission with the direct participation of representatives of national diasporas.”

The Tomsk local authorities have banned foreigners with work permits from working in the areas of food and prepared food production, retail trade, passenger transportation in taxis, city and suburban transport, hotel and restaurant business, personnel selection, security, general, secondary vocational and higher education, physical education and sports.   

The governor called on regional enterprises to “bring their staff into line with the new rules in advance.”

Since the beginning of the year, restrictions on the work of foreigners have been introduced in almost twenty regions of the Russian Federation.

Currently, restrictions are in effect in approximately every third region of the Russian Federation.  In 2024, restrictions (including Tomsk oblast) were introduced in 17 Russian regions: Zabaikalsky Krai, Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Nizhny Novgorod, Smolensk, Samara, Kemerovo, Voronezh, Tula, Magadan, Kurgan, Novosibirsk, Novgorod, Kursk, Saratov, Lipetsk and Kostroma Oblasts.  In addition, restrictions on the work of migrants were introduced in annexed Crimea.  Most regions have banned migrants from working in the taxi industry.

The authorities of Russia’s regions have been introducing restrictions on the work of migrants since 2015, when such decisions were made by the authorities of Perm Krai and the Mari El Republic,