Russian officials being told to surrender their passports

As for me, nothing would make me want to flee Russia like being told “You may not flee Russia.”

Russian officials and employees of state-owned companies are increasingly being told to surrender their passports to members of the security services to ensure they cannot flee the country, a joint investigation by independent media outlets Current Time and Radio Liberty has concluded.

Requirements vary from job to job, with some state employees told to hand in their foreign passports to the FSB or a similar special department at their workplace, while others were just advised in no uncertain terms not to travel abroad on vacation, according to the investigation.

Officials who fail to hand their passports over are threatened with having them revoked, while employees at state-owned companies are generally given the opportunity to resign if they refuse to hand over their passports for safekeeping.

Travel restrictions may range from a complete ban on leaving Russia for some to having permission only to visit one of Russia’s dwindling number of allies or members of the Eurasian Economic Union for others.