MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/. Over 4 mln Russians are listed as debtors barred from leaving Russia before winter holidays, more often this is caused by unpaid credits, alimony, or utility bills, the press service of the Federal Bailiffs Service told TASS in response to the agency’s inquiry.
"As of December 1, 2020, 4.1 mln decisions on a temporary restriction of a debtor’s right to leave the Russian Federation were in effect," the Federal Bailiffs noted. This is 700,000 (or 20%) more than a year ago (as of December 1, 2019, 3.4 mln people were listed as barred from leaving the country) and 2.5 times more than three years ago (as of December 1, 2017 such lists included 1.7 mln people). "The restriction on a debtor’s right to leave the Russian Federation is applied the most often regarding individuals who have alimony debts, credit debts and debts for housing and public utilities," the Federal Bailiffs Service reported.
According to TASS' data, a ban on leaving the country is usually applied to the majority of persistent non-payers of alimony and to about a third of credit debtors. Over the recent years such decisions became also effective regarding those who forget to pay their utility bills.
In all, over 11 months of this year, the bailiffs issued 8.3 mln decisions on barring the debtors from leaving the country (while 7.8 mln of such decisions were made in 2019 and five years ago, in 2015, only 1.5 mln - TASS). As the Federal Bailiffs Service noted, by early December the debtors barred from traveling abroad in all paid their debts for a total amount of 41.5 bln rubles (over $560 mln - TASS).