The proposal was voiced by Roman Plugin, head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, during his annual report to the city parliament.
The tragedy occurred in the "City Mall" shopping center when the guards suspected the young man of theft. A verbal altercation escalated into a physical confrontation, during which the visitor was restrained until the police arrived. As a result, he became unwell, and despite being taken to the hospital, he could not be saved.
The Investigative Committee of Russia classified the actions of the security guards as murder committed by a group of individuals. One of the guards fled from the investigation and flew to Uzbekistan; he has been declared wanted.
Following the incident, law enforcement agencies conducted checks on compliance with migration legislation in the stores of this chain. The latest raid uncovered 64 illegal migrants.
"The retail chain employs illegal migrants. Currently, the second stage of inspections is underway to assess the chain's response to our claims," noted Roman Plugin.
According to the head of the regional Ministry of Internal Affairs, although Russian laws prohibit foreigners from working in private security structures, some businessmen circumvent this rule by employing migrants in other positions. The law restricting migrant labor will come into effect on September 1, 2026.
In light of these events, Plugin stated that an initiative for a complete ban on migrant labor in the retail and wholesale trade is being developed. In 2025, about five thousand employees with patents worked in stores, many of whom were employed illegally.
Currently, there is already a ban on migrant labor in taxi and delivery services in St. Petersburg. This restriction applies to arrivals from visa-free countries, including Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Moldova, and Ukraine.
