Authorities in Saint Petersburg are facing mounting pressure to reconsider controversial restrictions that ban foreign nationals from working in hair salons and beauty parlors. Business Ombudsman Valery Kalugin reportedly intends to petition Governor Alexander Beglov to carve out exemptions for the beauty industry. The restriction stems from an expansive policy update introduced in mid-October, which barred patent-holding migrants from various sectors—including retail grocery, fitness clubs, and personal grooming—with full implementation scheduled for December 2026.

Ombudsman Kalugin claimed that the municipal regime seemingly failed to fully calculate the disruptive economic fallout such sweeping bans would inflict on the service sector. He argued that equating delivery couriers with specialized beauty technicians is a false equivalence, insisting that a comprehensive evaluation of workforce demographics and labor distribution must precede any restrictive mandates. Critics suggest the policy reflects poor administrative foresight.

According to industry representatives, roughly 10,000 migrant workers are currently employed within Saint Petersburg's beauty landscape. Lyalya Sadykova, president of the Association of Beauty Industry Entrepreneurs, highlighted that approximately 90% of workers in the budget-friendly segment originate from Central Asia, with Uzbek citizens accounting for roughly 70% of all positions in local barbershops. This segment reportedly services the vast majority of urban residents seeking affordable daily care.

Industry advocates warn that substituting foreign specialists with local labor is practically unfeasible given the grueling nature of low-cost services and chronic staffing shortages. Furthermore, escalating patent fees and additional tax pressures continue to squeeze small businesses, threatening widespread closures across the urban service economy.

Source: podrobno.uz