Migrant crackdown as 1 key rule sees foreigners in Russia drop by 10% | World | News

The number of migrants in Russia has dropped 10% from the start of last year, following new restrictive rules. There has been a decrease of 600,000 people, from 6.3 million foreign nationals living in Russia to 5.7 million.

Alexander Perezhogin, head of analytics at the Interior Ministry’s migration service, attributed this to a single rule. Last year, a law was passed that banned foreign children from attending school in Russia unless they pass a Russian-language exam and provide proof of legal residency. Since this, there has been a 25% decline in the number of foreign children across the country. A law came into effect this week, allowing educational authorities to share data on foreign children with the Interior Ministry. The Russian Ministry of Education said in November that this is to help “promptly identify their educational needs”.

With this increased surveillance of migrant families, Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk warned that foreigners who violate the rules could face deportation.

Another major factor is the so-called “controlled persons registry”, introduced last year. The list is of migrants who could be deported and imposes restrictions.

These restrictions include bans on driving, marrying, travelling within Russia, opening bank accounts, or spending more than £286 a month.

In 2024, over 80,000 people were deported from Russia, almost double the number of people who were deported in 2023 – 44,200.

Sofia Batura, first deputy CEO of the recruiting company Intrud, suggested that the Russian Labour Code, the deportation regime, and the reduction in the length of stay for foreign citizens also affected the numbers.

Since January of last year, foreigners who arrived in Russia without visas have been limited to a 90-day temporary stay per calendar year.