They contemplate carrying out blood and urine tests to detect possible drug use or diseases such as HIV, covid-19, tuberculosis, syphilis and leprosy
This Wednesday a new law came into force in Russia that obliges foreigners residing in Russia to undergo a series of medical tests every three months, the cost of which will come out of the interested party’s own pocket and whose price is estimated at about 50 euros. They contemplate carrying out blood and urine tests to detect possible drug use or diseases such as HIV, COVID-19, tuberculosis, syphilis and leprosy. The medical examination also incorporates a pulmonary tomography.
The new rule also requires providing fingerprints to law enforcement authorities and a biometric photograph. Diplomats, service personnel of international organizations, citizens of Belarus and children under the age of six are exempt from such duties.
Labor immigrants, unlike other foreigners, must pass the tests within the first month after their arrival in Russia. The rest, including foreign media correspondents, businessmen and even tourists, must do so in a period of three months. A source from the Russian Foreign Ministry maintains that, in the case of journalists, the law will begin to be applied in March with regard to medical tests, although fingerprints must be provided in no more than a month.
There is the circumstance that those who do not comply with the regulations will have their employment contract revoked or, in the case of other categories such as correspondents or employers, they will lose the possibility of renewing their temporary stay permit.
Another drawback detected by international chambers of commerce, which have harshly criticized these legislative changes, is the fact that medical examinations must be carried out in specific centers on an immovable list. This aspect is of great concern given the possibility that licensed clinics may be overwhelmed by the influx of patients and cause long queues. The results of the tests must then be handed over to the authorities through the immigration departments, which can also be a huge waste of time.
The German government has already shown its discomfort, as it fears that the new measure could harm bilateral relations in the economic and scientific fields. The outrage has also been evident among foreign businessmen, specifically within the United States Chamber of Commerce and European investors associations.
However, the Kremlin defends the imposition of medical tests on the hundreds of thousands of foreigners living in the country. “There are similar rules in many other states,” Russian Presidency spokesman Dmitri Peskov declared in the middle of the month.
On the other hand, and with the exception of members of diplomatic legations, all foreigners who live in Russia, including accredited journalists, must register with the Russian Ministry of the Interior, not only every time we enter the country, but even when traveling to other cities or territories of Russia. Failure to do so may lead to immediate expulsion, as has already happened with some correspondents, for “violation of migration legislation”. However, in Spain, Russian journalists are not required to register with the Police just once, upon arrival to carry out their informative work.
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