DUSHANBE, January 10, Asia-Plus -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Mission in Tajikistan is holding a briefing in Dushanbe today on new migration requirements for foreigners in Russia.  

According to the IOM Dushanbe Office, the main objective of the briefing is in acquainting media with new Russian migration legislation and changes and addenda made to it for regulating legal status of foreigners in the Russian Federation.  

Experts from Tajikistan’s ministries of interior and labor are attending the news conference.  

A new law on migration registration has changed a procedure of registration and granting permit for work in Russia.  New Russia’s laws regulating legal status of foreigners in the Russian Federation will take effect beginning on January 15.   

Russia’s Federal Migration Service has drafted amendments to more than 100 regulations.  In October last year, President Putin ordered the government to introduce quotas on foreign workers by November 15, regulate trade on markets, and set the term for continuous stays of foreigners on visas in the country at not more than 90 days during a six-month period.

Quotas have been introduced for migrant labor in four areas of economic activity to help substantially reduce the number of illegal migrants.  Starting January 1, 2007, foreigners are forbidden to work at outlets selling alcoholic beverages and pharmaceuticals, while as of April 1, 2007 foreigners will not be allowed to work in the retail trade sector and in outdoor clothes and food markets.

Russian migration authorities last year said that funds remitted by Tajik guest works to Tajikistan are twice as much as the country''s budget.