Kozak: all non-resident workers should be removed from Sochi till the end of the year

Before the New Year, all the Olympic venues should be commissioned; and all non-resident workers should be taken out of the city, Dmitry Kozak, Russian Deputy Prime Minister, said today in Sochi at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin dedicated to preparation for the Olympics.

The meeting raised the issue of the preparedness of Olympic facilities. While summing up the presentation of venues, Mr Kozak expressed confidence that the remaining works will be completed within a month.

"By the end of the year, it's necessary to put all the objects into operation, remove all the construction machinery and help to send home all non-resident workers after paying out all their salaries," the "Interfax" quotes Dmitry Kozak as saying.

Let us remind you that activists of the Human Rights Watch (HRW) have repeatedly stated violations of migrant workers' rights admitted in Sochi in preparation for the Olympics, and noted human rights violations associated with the system of land exemptions and resettlement for the construction of Olympic facilities.

On February 6, the HRW stated violations of migrants' rights at the Olympic construction in Sochi and urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to help in defending their rights. However, the Vice-Premier Dmitry Kozak and Sochi Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov said that the facts cited by the HRW were not true.