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Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has drafted legislation that would impose a formal legal regime on foreign nationals staying in the country without valid documentation, introducing a broad set of prohibitions that extend well beyond existing deportation procedures.
The draft law, reported by TASS, defines “controlled stay” as a regime applied to any foreign citizen who has no legal grounds to remain in Russia or who knowingly submitted false information or documents during migration registration. A person would be placed under the regime from the date their personal information is entered into a dedicated register.
Grounds for triggering the regime include the expiration of a temporary stay permit, temporary residence permit or full residence permit, as well as the annulment of a visa, refugee status, temporary asylum or citizenship.
Obligations and prohibitions
Under the proposed rules, those subject to controlled stay would be required to inform authorities of their whereabouts, any change of address, and the planned date, location and route of any independent departure from Russia. Failure to comply could result in deportation.
The bill also sets out a substantial list of civil and economic restrictions. Affected individuals would face a ban on registering legal entities or sole-trader businesses, and would be prohibited from buying or selling real estate, vehicles and self-propelled machinery. They could not place property on the national cadastral register or register a vehicle in their name.
The restrictions extend to everyday life: the draft would bar illegal migrants from opening bank accounts, making money transfers and contracting a marriage. They would also be prohibited from driving, and could be denied the right to sit licensing examinations or renew a driving licence.
The ministry said the measures are intended to help identify undocumented migrants and facilitate their removal from Russian territory. Foreigners subject to the regime would retain the right to request the reasons for its application to them and to appeal against the actions or omissions of officials.
Scale of migration from Central Asia
Russia’s MIA has previously stated that approximately 6.4 million foreign nationals are currently present in the country, the majority having arrived for work purposes, according to Valentina Kazakova, head of the ministry’s main migration department. In 2022, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan ranked as the three leading source countries for migrant labour flows into Russia, making the proposed legislation of direct relevance to millions of Central Asian workers and their families.
The draft law has not yet been adopted, and its precise legislative timeline was not specified in the ministry’s announcement.