The second stage of the federal comprehensive operational-preventive Operation “Illegal-2026” conducted by Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (Министерство внутренних дел Российской Федерации, МВД России)—the Russian federal agency responsible for internal affairs and migration enforcement—continues in Russia’s regions. The agency’s report identifies the illegal employment of foreign nationals as one of the violations being detected. For an employer, this is not a notification of new hiring rules, but a signal to assess current HR practices and make sure that employing foreign workers is lawful.
What the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported about the second stage of the operation
The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that the second stage of Operation “Illegal-2026” (операция «Нелегал-2026») is being conducted in the regions. The purpose of the publication is to provide information about enforcement work to identify violations in the migration sector. The agency specifically mentions the illegal employment of foreign nationals among these violations.
No new requirements for employers have been announced in the material presented. The source also does not name the start and end dates of the second stage. Companies should therefore not conclude that this is a temporary campaign with a known deadline: only the fact that the activities are continuing and that results are being published in certain constituent entities of Russia has been confirmed.
What practices have already been recorded in the regions
In Ulyanovsk Region, 256 administrative violations were identified. This figure includes 15 reports drawn up against legal entities for illegally hiring foreign nationals. This information shows that during the operation, attention is being paid not only to foreign nationals themselves but also to organizations using their labor.
In Adygea, 12 employers were held liable. A fine of 800 thousand rubles may be imposed on one legal entity. In Stavropol Krai, more than 500 administrative case materials were prepared and 15 criminal cases were opened concerning migration-related incidents. The material does not specify the charges in these criminal cases, the persons involved, or the connection between each incident and employers, so these details must not be interpreted broadly.
What risk this creates for the HR process
The practical risk for a business is that the unlawful employment of a foreign worker may become the subject of an administrative case involving a legal entity or employer. This is confirmed by reports from Ulyanovsk Region and Adygea. The example of a possible fine of 800 thousand rubles concerns one legal entity in Adygea and is not a universal penalty for all situations.
For a manager and the HR function, the operation is a reason to check how closely the actual use of foreign workers corresponds to lawful grounds. It is important to examine not only formally employed staff but also the process of granting access to work itself: errors may be visible precisely where HR documentation, actual employment, and internal controls are not aligned. The source does not establish a specific list of documents or mandatory procedures.
How to organize a review without making unnecessary assumptions
The review should begin with the official statement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs about the operation and distinguish confirmed facts from rumors. It has been confirmed that the second stage is underway, that illegal employment is being identified, and that case materials involving employers have been prepared in a number of regions. Uniform deadlines for the end of the operation, new business obligations, or a special inspection procedure have not been confirmed.
After that, it is useful to conduct an internal review of the legality of employing each foreign worker. The review should reasonably be documented as a management action: designate those responsible for HR data, compare information on current foreign workers, and separately flag situations requiring legal assessment. If the legality of a particular case is unclear, the Ministry of Internal Affairs material does not answer which documents or actions are mandatory; the applicable rules and official guidance will need to be relied on.
What to change in controls right now
There is no need to urgently change HR regulations solely because of the publication about the operation: it contains no new requirements. However, the absence of new rules does not diminish the value of regular monitoring. The reports of protocols issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs demonstrate that the issue of illegally hiring foreign nationals is part of enforcement practice.
A useful outcome of an internal review is a clear picture for the company: where foreign workers are used, who is responsible for confirming the legality of their employment, and which cases require additional review. This approach helps a manager make decisions based on facts rather than on unconfirmed deadlines, fines, or requirements that do not appear in the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ report.
What to check
- Review the official statement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs about the second stage of Operation “Illegal-2026” (операция «Нелегал-2026»).
- Check whether the employment of foreign workers who are actually working for the company is lawful.
- Compare HR records with the actual use of foreign nationals’ labor.
- Designate a person responsible for the internal review of foreign workers.
- Separately document cases in which the legality of employment requires legal assessment.
- Do not set internal deadlines for the operation as a confirmed deadline: the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not name the date on which it will end.