More than 500 illegal migrants have been deported from the Novosibirsk region since the beginning of 2025, primarily due to violations of stay regulations such as lacking proper registration or work permits. This situation has fueled a market for illegal services catering to migrants, with some offering illicit assistance in obtaining necessary documents.
District courts in Novosibirsk have handed down at least fifty convictions in the past two years related to organizing illegal migration, with the Dzerzhinsky district recording the highest number of cases. These cases often involve individuals, typically foreign citizens, who begin by assisting compatriots with paperwork but escalate into accepting numerous orders and engaging in more serious offenses like document forgery.
One notable case involved Tursunboy U., a hairdresser from Uzbekistan, who enlisted the help of a graphic designer, Andrei V., to forge documents, including work permits, for fellow citizens. Andrei V. had access to document templates and equipment from a service center where he worked, enabling them to streamline their illegal operation for two years until authorities intervened. Both men received fines for their involvement.
Service centers located near migration departments often provide legal assistance with document processing, but some extend their services beyond the legal boundaries. These centers may organize comprehensive services for large groups of migrants arriving by bus and even fulfill orders from businesses seeking migrant labor.
According to lawyer Georgy Soldatov, these illegal services may be sustained by corruption. He highlighted a case in April where authorities seized a substantial amount of cash and foreign passports from organizers of illegal migration who had been operating for five years. Soldatov suggests strengthening laws, increasing migration department employee salaries, and creating migrant worker settlements as potential solutions.
Human rights activist Valentina Chupik asserts that corruption enables the existence of illegal centers. She believes that individuals arrested for organizing illegal migration are often just pawns, while the true masterminds remain at large. Chupik emphasizes the difficulties migrants face in navigating document processing, which criminals exploit. She advocates for holding accountable both the organizers of illegal migration and any law enforcement officers complicit in trading migration documents.