MOSCOW, August 4 (RAPSI) – About 12,500 people were fined a total of about 7 million rubles ($111,000) in the first six months of 2015 for failing to notify the authorities of second citizenship, the Federal Migration Service said in a statement on Tuesday.

About one million Russians have notified the Federal Migration Service about a second citizenship, the statement says.

In August 2014, a new Russian law requiring citizens to notify the Federal Migration Service about foreign citizenship or resident permits became effective. Violators will be held liable.

The law obliges Russian citizens to notify the Federal Migration Service within two months of acquiring foreign citizenship. Failure to do so is punishable by a fine of up to 200,000 rubles ($3,200) or up to 400 hours of community service.

If citizens notify the Federal Migration Service about their dual citizenship late or submit notifications with deliberate misrepresentations they will face fines of up to 1,000 rubles ($16).

Since 1992, about six million people have obtained Russian citizenship, the Federal Migration Service notes. But it is unclear whether they have renounced their foreign citizenship.