Russian State Duma passes bill on confiscation of assets for organizing illegal immigration

MOSCOW. Oct 30 (Interfax) - A bill on confiscation of money, valuables and other assets for organizing illegal immigration passed the second and third readings in the State Duma on Wednesday.

The bill concerns organization of illegal immigration and Criminal Code articles on confiscation of money, valuables and other assets obtained as a result of a crime.

The bill amends Part 1, Article 104.1 of the Russian Criminal Code, "Property Confiscation," by adding to it article 322.1 of the Russian Criminal Code. For this category of criminal cases, confiscation will apply to crimes committed for mercenary motives.

According to the explanatory note by the bill's authors, "confiscation of property has a rather serious preventative potential. It eliminates conditions that facilitate the commission of a crime, makes it economically unprofitable, depriving offenders of the benefits they could have received by committing the crime, thus considerably reducing the size of the shadow economy associated with the organization of illegal migration flows."

A large group of lawmakers from various factions authored the bill.