The government in Moscow is forcing anyone who does not have a Russian passport to do X-ray, CT and other medical checks. The Kremlin has now slightly weakened the law, but the German Association of Journalists is calling on Foreign Minister Baerbock to take a clear position.
Germans and other foreigners will have to undergo regular health examinations in Russia for a fee if they stay there for a long time. This also includes tests for HIV, syphilis, drugs, tuberculosis and “psychoactive substances” as well as blood samples, X-rays or CT scans. Fingerprints must also be deposited. A corresponding law came into force on Wednesday despite international criticism and is to be implemented from next year.
At the last moment, the regulations were weakened somewhat after several foreign, including German business associations complained to the Russian government about the new law. Initially, this included extensive health checks every three months. On Wednesday, however, the Russian Ministry of Health said that the medical documents were only valid for three months, but that the examination itself would only have to be repeated every year. This also applies to all family members of foreign employees who have traveled with you, including all children from the age of six.
The law was also an issue on Wednesday in Berlin. The new Russian regulations on medical examinations were “noted”, said a spokeswoman for the Foreign Office. It goes without saying that they share the concerns of the many organizations and companies active in Russia about the possible effects of the regulations on economic, scientific and civil society cooperation. “We will take up these concerns and address them with the Russian authorities.”
Several business associations wrote a letter this month calling on the Russian government to weaken the law, including the German-Russian Chamber of Commerce Abroad (AHK) in Moscow. She had warned of the consequences for the Russian economy, as key managers could turn their backs on Russia. The AHK board chairman Matthias Schepp said the Süddeutsche Zeitung On Wednesday, the new medical tests would be aimed primarily at millions of guest workers from Central Asia, but “the poorly formulated law” meant that “German and other Western managers, engineers, scientists and journalists were also targeted”. The fact that the Russian government is “now backtracking is a partial success,” which the German economy also helped, said Schepp. The German Association of Journalists called on Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) on Wednesday to publicly oppose the law. The US embassy called it “xenophobic”.
The Kremlin had defended the law before Christmas. There are “certain rules”, said spokesman Dmitrij Peskow, but already indicated corrections. The health checks for foreigners, especially if they were necessary every three months, could also affect Russian companies that rely on migrant workers, especially from Central Asia, in the agricultural and construction sectors. According to a report in the newspaper Novaya Gazeta the head of an aid organization for migrants criticizes the new law as discriminatory, it would encourage bribery and increase the risk of migrants working illegally.