JEWISH WORKERS IN RUSSIA FACE VISA PROBLEMS

If only the Jewish community there would think wisely and leave, considering the returning reign of communism (or Putinism, if you think of the brand new dictator now posing as the prime minister there), maybe this wouldn't be an issue. The JTA reports:

MOSCOW (JTA) -- New visa rules in Russia are stoking anxiety and frustration among Jewish groups here, forcing them to get in line quickly with new laws to avoid fines or the expulsion of their foreign employees from Russia.

While the changes, which went into effect Oct. 18, do not specifically target Jews, the new rules for multiple-entry business visas -- which cover the sub-sections of religious, humanitarian and cultural visas -- are having a huge impact on Jewish organizations.

Large Jewish groups, some of which employ hundreds of foreign workers and their families, are fighting their way through the maze of paperwork and bureaucracy surrounding the new rules, and many still do not understand exactly how the rules are to be applied.

The new rules, hastily instituted by the Russian government amid the heavily anti-Western rhetoric of December’s parliamentary campaign, are still not clearly understood by those who will be most affected by them.

[...]

For the Chabad-led federation, which has an estimated 500-plus foreign employees and family members in the country, most of whom hold either Israeli or U.S. citizenship, this constitutes a tremendous weight on operating costs. Employees will be able to stay in Russia for no more than 90 days out of every 180, and every 180 days they will have to go to their countries of origin to renew their visas. That's a lot of plane tickets.

Not to mention money. The Russian-Jewish community should understand that the time has come to pack their bags and leave, to avoid the encroaching reign of communism anew. If they were to do that, all these matters wouldn't be a problem and a lot of money would be saved.