Moscow Weighs Idea of Visitor Permits

City officials are considering a plan to require visitors from former Soviet republics to register with police and get permits to stay in Moscow, a newspaper reported Friday.

The move was prompted by concern over increasing crime. According to police, non-resident criminals--commonly known as “guest performers”--committed two of every five muggings, one out of three burglaries and one out of every five murders in Moscow this year.

There is no active border control between Russia and the rest of the former Soviet Union, allowing some criminals to commit offenses in Russia and then return to their own republics beyond Russian police jurisdiction.

Under the new law, a person caught doing something other than stated in his or her permit, or who stays longer than permitted, could be forced to leave, Izvestia said.

The proposed regulations will be submitted to the city council soon, it said.