DUSHANBE, November 13, Asia-Plus – Communal services in Moscow thrive on the use of cheap labor of illegal immigrants colloquially known as guest workers. According to calculations offered in Izvestia, street sweepers from Tajikistan alone “earn” upper echelons of Moscow communal services nearly 300 million rubles every month. Throughout all of Moscow, employment of immigrants earns communal services 78 billion rubles annually, Ferghana.ru said.
“There are 150,000 labor immigrants from Tajikistan alone in Moscow at this point. This figure includes 48,000 Tajik car-washers. Add here between 3,000 and 10,000 immigrants living and working at each storage facility and marketplace in Moscow and marketplaces alone number two dozen. Plus about 100,000 more build mansions – and guard them – on Rublevskoye Shosse,” Tajiks People”s League President Karomat Sharipov said. Sharipov is convinced that 90% of the Tajiks in Moscow are illegal immigrants.
“Nearly 70% of them are illiterate and this is where their problems are rooted,” Sharipov explained. “These people cannot read or write – even in their native tongue. Even registration poses a serious problem for them, regardless of how easy or difficult the procedure may be.”
The situation may be ameliorated but it will take some effort on the part of Tajikistan and Mayor of Moscow Luzhkov”s goodwill. Establishment of several offices of human rights organizations in Moscow immigrants could approach for assistance in filling out documents for registration would have helped matters greatly.
