Can the regional ombudsman write a new law? Is it possible to get an apartment for a disabled orphan? How to teach migrants the Russian language? Tatyana Moskalkova, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, visited the “Business Breakfast” at RG.
Mordovia, Saransk, Correspondent “RG” Valentina Zotikova: “Rossiyskaya Gazeta” wrote about the criminal case of the head of the agricultural enterprise of the village of Kadoshkino, Igor Rogozhin. At the request of the inhabitants of three villages and the appeal of the heads of the villages, he cleared the forest road, which had not been cleared for many years. The bulldozer knocked down self-seeding, the total cost of wood amounted to a little more than 5 thousand rubles. But the damage was estimated at 270 thousand, then this figure grew to half a million, and the final estimate was 860 thousand rubles.
A criminal case against Igor Rogozhin was initiated under article 260, part 3, – illegal cutting of forest plantations on an especially large scale – and this is up to seven years in prison. Residents of three villages are outraged, write collective appeals. Please take matters into your own hands.
Tatyana Moskalkova: You can’t even imagine to what extent my colleagues and I were excited by the article in “RG” and the videos with the speeches of the residents. For 30 years they begged to build a road for them, appealed to candidates for deputies, to the leadership of the region, and – no result. There was an amazing person who, at the call of his heart, without counting on profit, cleared the way. In one of the videos, he says: “…They cut down cedars and take them out, sometimes in violation of the law, and they are not responsible. And I did a good deed. Why me?” I wanted to figure it out.
Indeed, this is the situation when, as the classic said: “According to the law – it’s right, but in fact – a mockery.” Igor Rogozhin did not have a logging ticket. However, the trees cut down by him, based on the video footage, are 15-20 centimeters in diameter. Not trees, but trees. For the sake of the road, a socially significant facility that solves the problems of people from three settlements at once. I am going to appeal to the Prosecutor General’s Office with a request to check the legality and validity of the actions of all parties. Such a matter cannot be approached formally.
Photo: Moskalkova supported the hero of this story.
Murmansk, correspondent of “RG” Alexei Mikhailov: At least half of the appeals to the regional ombudsmen are related to the imperfection of the laws. Maybe we should give them the right of legislative initiative?
Tatyana Moskalkova: Each subject of the Russian Federation has its own characteristics, its own organizational and logistical capabilities. In 31 regions, the commissioners have the right of legislative initiative. Others lack such authority. For its implementation, it is necessary to have appropriate organizational tools. Writing a law is a big and difficult job, you need experience in rule-making, the presence of specialists in this field. And today, far from all subjects, the authorized person has devices that can ensure the implementation of such a complex task. It is important that such interaction be built between the authorized and deputy corps of the subject, which would allow him to implement his law-making ideas, to actively participate in the law-making process.
“According to the law – right, but in fact – a mockery” – we correct such situations
Omsk, correspondent of “RG” Natalya Graf: For three years, the Omsk authorities have not enforced a court decision to provide housing for an orphan without the hands of Serik Otynchinov. He is forced to rent an apartment on his disability pension and lives practically from hand to mouth. He can’t get a job because he has no hands.
The Ombudsman will also help the hero of this publication.
Tatyana Moskalkova: When I found out about this, I was amazed at such heartlessness. Yes, social housing is being built poorly everywhere. But the case with Serik Otynchinov is special and requires the use of special levers. As far as I know, the governor has taken control of this situation and intends to take action. For my part, I ask the Omsk Commissioner for Human Rights to help resolve the issue of housing for this guy. I’ll join myself too. We need to work out mechanisms for resolving social housing issues. There is a national project here, money is allocated, but how efficiently do they come and spend?
How to solve the problems of adaptation of migrants in Russia? Russia has launched CHAZs – private employment agencies that teach Russian. People pay for language courses, but when they come to Russia, they don’t know Russian.
Tatyana Moskalkova: I also receive a large number of requests, both from migrants and from Russians. Russians believe that they are often disadvantaged in the labor market because of migrants. And from migrants (I don’t really like this word, I would say – from foreign citizens who came to us to live, work, arrange their personal lives, learn about culture, because Russia is attractive to them) – a huge number of complaints about the infringement of their rights. In search of this compromise, we have some progress. Including in the organization of teaching the Russian language. As for schools, the Ministry of Education and Science has taken up this issue, and we have fewer complaints that the child of a foreign citizen who works in our country under a temporary employment contract is not taken to school. The disadvantage is a huge number of uncodified and unsystematized regulatory legal acts. Therefore, we are pleased that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has completed the development of the first comprehensive law covering the entire range of problems related to entry, stay and exit from the country. In general, we support him. But at the same time, we have a number of issues related to the need to improve the guarantees of human rights in this area. We are in constant interaction with the migration services of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on this topic.