‘There are already over a thousand people in Sverdlovsk Region who were prevented from going abroad by the judiciary authorities. The limitations apply only to the foreign countries, a person is free to travel anywhere within Russia,’ head of Sverdlovsk Region’s Officers of Justice Administration Vladimir Schepotin announced in the course of a recent press conference.

These authorities are empowered to prevent a person from going abroad only if there is a corresponding court decision to this extent (the decision normally resulting from a person’s debts). The limitations apply to both business trips and tourist ones.

‘What is more, people with debts cannot get their international passports any longer. The Officers of Justice Administration and the Federal Migration Service agreed that the latter would check whether the person applying for a passport owes anything to anyone; if this is the case, the Federal Migration Service will refuse the applicant an international passport,’ Schepotin added.