Increasing state control in the area of migration

On June 18, 2024, the State Duma adopted in the first reading several bills regulating certain issues in the field of migration policy.

• Introduction of a new regime for the expulsion of persons staying illegally in Russia

If foreign nationals are deprived of the legal basis for their stay in Russia, they will be subject to a special expulsion regime and entered into the relevant register.

The manner of loss of legal basis will not affect whether such measures will be applied. An illegal migrant may be subject to a regime of expulsion both for committing an offense on the territory of the Russian Federation and for the expiration of a visa.

According to the draft law, there will be two ways to get out of this register: to challenge in court or to execute the expulsion and leave the territory of the Russian Federation.

• Empowering law enforcement authority to combat irregular migration

Authorities will have the right to use modern means of controlling the whereabouts of foreign nationals and will be able to enter the premises where an illegal migrant is located without an appropriate warrant.

The officers will also be authorized to contact foreign states in order to obtain information about a foreign citizen and his/her documents containing commercial, banking or tax secrets.

• Control of liability of individuals and legal entities for providing certain types of services to irregular migrants

The bill speaks of services that encourage a migrant to violate a requirement imposed on him or her. For example, if an irregular migrant is prohibited from leaving a certain region, the sale of a travel ticket to him or her will be recognized as an offense.

The provision of the relevant service would be punishable by administrative liability.