And the latter had to pay “fine” to RF “petrol officers” and the same Customs House for flagrantly “violating” their country’s law
It is not news that the number of people leaving Armenia for RF has significantly increased in recent times. To be sure if it, it does not need much to be done, just to watch the parking of buses taking to Moscow, to see a huge queue of passengers and the contents of their baggage, up to a blanket, mattress, plates. Given the recent increase in ticket planes, and the buses are much cheaper, many people prefer to travel by bus. Until recently, according to the law, at the RF border point, the Upper Lars, Russian Customs House was releasing migration cards to Armenian visitors, which helped the latter to get registered on the territory of the country, and upon leaving the country they were returning to the Customs House.
Recently, however, the “tradition” is violated, the Customs House does not provide the said immigration cards, and the customs officers, with clayey self-contained expression, do not even answer any questions as to why they do not provide these cards, they just say, “Solve your issues in place.” On saying in the place, they probably referring to the city, where the passengers are off. We only managed to get not clear information that Moscow does not send the cards to the Customs House anymore. The Armenian passenger appeared in an uncertainty, following the meaningless admonition of the customs officers, is trying to find and protect his status and rights of being a legal citizen-guest, and is knocking at the door of the local police department, where they also do not say anything clearly, but only cease the speech immediately that it does not enter into their powers, and we can not do anything without a migration card. They do not give any other guidance as to where and how the visitor should obtain a temporary registration problem. Notably, recently, Armenians are in a misunderstanding due to Armenia’s joining the Customs Union, and false rumors are spread that there is no need for such a card and registration. And, when the Armenian visitor tries to return Armenia on the same flight, it turns out that he “grossly” has violated the RA law by not having a proper card and respective registration, as a result, on the way back, Russian “law enforcement” and “patrol officers” are directly emptying his pockets. Knowing well that there are such “un-card-unregistered” passengers in the buses from RF to Armenia, they almost on every step are stopping the buses and thoroughly checking passengers’ documents.
No matter the passenger explains that he has not done anything illegal, but tried to do everything in order and rule, but faces obstacles, the state traffic inspector with serious facial expression does not care, and he threatens the passenger to take to the “department” for explanation, to put a stamp of 5 years ‘deport’ in his passports for grossly violating the law of their country. Naturally, no passenger, no matter how a law-abiding and literate, would not want to finish his tour and rest in the Russian “police station”, to spend a few days there and at the end be deprived of the right to enter the country for 5 years. It remains to follow the admonitions of “patrol officers”, to say “An immigration card from somewhere” means to find Russian ruble in 1000 and then approach them to get their passports back. And such police officers begin to pop up on the way very often, many of them are already
aware how many “1000 rubles” passengers are in the bus that it remains to understand how they pass the deal to one another, and make huge amounts of money at the expense of Armenian passenger.
And if the passenger does not have the money, there is no forgiveness, the bus driver had to pay in their place as a debt, on the condition of debt repayment. The very same 1000 rubles is also required by customs officers, who were obliged to provide immigration card to passengers, or, otherwise note in the passport that they have not provided. It turns out that Russian customs officers and law enforcement “make a puzzle” for Armenian passengers and make money on their account in a coordinated way. As a result, a small two-person Armenian family, for example, are paying a ‘fine’ equivalent to 80 thousand Russian rubles for spending 14 days vacation in Moscow, which, of course, is not little money for passengers who prefer bus journey.
Naira VANYAN
