Russians in debt denied foreign travel

i / Moscow June 06, 2010, 0:29 IST

More than 80,000 Russians were barred from travelling abroad during the vacation season due to their debts, an official here said. A total of 80,749 debtors have been temporarily barred from going outside the country this year, the official said.

About a third (26,646) of them have alimony debts, the head of the press service of the Federal Service of Bailiffs, Natalia Selivanova, told Itar-Tass.

The use of the temporary restriction not to leave Russia (it is in force for six months and may be prolonged) was not the only resort to force payment, he added.

Last year, bailiffs sent 1,77,300 notifications about the restrictions, including more than 42,800 against alimony debtors. It is double the amount of 2008. As a result, debtors paid off over $67,592,579 ($25,665,868 in 2008), including $4,325,925 to repay alimony debts.

People can receive information whether they have debts in offices of the service near their residence places. A passport must be presented there. One who receives such a notification must pay the debt in five days. If the debt is repaid, the measures are not used, and travelling abroad is not barred.