Russian Court Convicts Five in Illegal Migration Case Involving Afghans

The Central District Court of Chelyabinsk, Russia, convicted five individuals on Monday for organizing illegal migration networks since 2017. The group, which included the manager of Vita Travel, issued fake commercial invitations that allowed citizens of Afghanistan, Syria, African and European countries to enter Russia and obtain visas.

The Vita Travel manager received a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence, a fine of 450,000 rubles and a two-year ban from issuing invitations. His brother, who provided legal services, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison and fined 350,000 rubles. The other three defendants -- a former employee and two businessmen -- each received fines ranging from 250,000 to 300,000 rubles.

The defendants denied the charges, maintaining that their activities were legal and aimed at facilitating business visas. The manager plans to appeal the verdict.

The case gained prominence in February 2025 when Russia's Interior Ministry, in coordination with border forces, shut down the illegal migration channel. Judicial officials described the network as a long-running operation that exploited visa invitation processes.