By Anthony Marcus for Eurasia Business News, August 11, 2025. Article n°1705
St. Petersburg authorities have banned migrant workers from working as couriers and delivery people. This ban, signed by Governor Alexander Beglov and announced on August 11, 2025, extends a previous regulation from July 28, 2025, that had barred migrant workers only from taxi services. The new order now covers all delivery-related jobs including traditional courier services, goods transport, and home food delivery.
The city administration states the measure aims to reduce illegal employment, improve the quality and safety of services, and open up more jobs for local residents, particularly students and young people. Businesses will have a three-month transition period to comply with the ban.
This move follows a broader trend across Russia, where as of January 2025, 49 regions—including new Russian territories in Ukraine—had introduced similar bans targeting migrant workers in various professions. The restrictions primarily affect migrants from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and stem from an anti-migrant campaign that followed a terrorist attack near Moscow in March 2024 and the rise of criminality rate among migrants, well documented by the Russian security agencies.
Despite the severe labor shortages in Russia, especially in manufacturing, retail, and transportation sectors, which experts warn cannot be solved without migrant labor, St. Petersburg has enacted this ban as part of efforts to prioritize local employment and address safety and service concerns.
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© Copyright 2025 – Eurasia Business News. Article no. 1705