**4. Legislation and migration policy of Russia to protect migrant workers from human trafficking and slavery**

The problems of THB for international and internal migrants in Russia have structural dimensions and are imbedded in Russian migration policy. The visa-free regime within post-Soviet space for the majority of the population from the fSU is accompanied by often impossibilities in getting legal registration and permission to participate in the labour market. The protection of crime victims is not developed in migration policy as well as activities in the fight against THB [7].

In 2000, Russia signed two treaties and ratified both in 2004: (1) the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, including the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, also known as the *Palermo Protocol*, and (2) the Protocol against Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea, and Air. In 2004, two anti-trafficking articles, namely 127.1 (Human Trafficking) and 127.2 (Use of Slave Labour), were introduced into the Russian Criminal Code (CC) by the Federal law 162-FZ3 [30] and covered by 18 more CC articles. Nevertheless, Russian legislation does not include a definition of a "trafficking victim." Instead, the Russian definition of trafficking focuses mainly on the trafficking process and types of exploitation (slavery, sexual, and similar to slavery) [31] of trafficking in article 127.1 and 127.2.

According to the Article 127.1 of the Russian Criminal Code "Human trafficking" (CC) *is defined as* **selling or purchasing a human being***, other transactions with regards to a human being, as well as recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt previously committed for the purpose of exploitation.* The *human exploitation is understood as use of other persons' engagement in prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation, slave labour (services), practice similar to slavery*. The goal of exploitation can be reached both when the victim is used in the perpetrator's interests and in the *interests of the third persons* [31]. Under article 127.2 of the Russian Criminal Code, slave labour is understood as *"labour of a person with regards to whom powers inherent to ownership right are exercised, while this person cannot refuse to perform work (services) for reasons beyond his or her influence*." This act is characterized by three aspects:


Between 2003 and 2012, numerous additions were made to the anti-trafficking law; 18 additional articles, covering sex and trafficking-related crimes, have been included in the Russian Criminal Code. According to Article 52 of the Russian Constitution, the rights of crime victims are protected by different laws. In reality, however, the state mechanism works poorly: there is no funding for victim protection and both victims and witnesses often do not want to testify in the court of law, fearing revenge by their perpetrators. Absence of registration because of different reasons put person on the margin of the society and creates the vulnerability assistance [7].

The new Migration Policy Concepts of Russia of 2018 emphasize the fight against irregular migration, the enforcement of the migration legislation and special control operations remain the key priority in the Concept [32]. It is worth noting that Russia

### *State Organized Recruitment for the Russian Enterprises: Is It a Pass to a Better Life or to Slavery? DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110740*

is taking steps to improve the situation. Since November 2019, it has been trying to ease the residence permit process for some categories of migrants. Nevertheless, Russia remains one of the main countries of destination, transit, and origin of THB victims, including situation with slavery in the CIS. The UNODC 2014–2017 data shows that the highest number of victims of THB in Russia, with sexual exploitation being the main form. The exception in this regard is Uzbekistan. The largest number of THB victims amongst migrants originate from Uzbekistan (3.632 people), with being men [33].
