according to article 4.1(3), an asylum seeker who enters the russian federation illegally must file an application with the regional ministry of interior ("moi") within 24 hours. according to a 2002 world refugee survey, the majority of applications that have been submitted to regional moi offices are from foreigners who have entered illegally. while an individual cannot be detained for illegally entering russia for the purposes of applying for asylum, the penal code allows the government to imprison illegal immigrants including unregistered asylum seekers – making it even more imperative to meet the 24-hour deadline. even though the 24-hour limit can be relaxed, article 5.1(7) states that a violation can serve as the basis for denial of a substantive evaluation of an applicant's claim.