Deportation from Russia

Migration from Russia and to Russia

Main article: Migration from Russia and to Russia

Chronicle

2024

Expulsion and deportation of over 190,000 foreign nationals, 30% increase

In 2024, more than 190 thousand foreign citizens were expelled, deported or readmitted from Russia, which is 30% more than in the previous 2023. This was reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia on March 14, 2025.

According to the ministry, Russia more than 157 thousand foreigners who violated the law forcibly left, which is 45% more than in 2023. These statistics were provided by the Main Directorate for Migration MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS of Russia.

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Фото: Freepik

The agency also intensified work to restrict entry into the country for foreign citizens who do not comply with the requirements of Russian legislation. In 2024, 267.2 thousand ideas were sent about the non-permission to enter Russia. This is 93.8 thousand more than in the previous period.

In 2024, there was a significant decrease in the number of residence permits issued to foreign citizens in Russia. The number of temporary residence permits issued has halved, and the number of residence permits issued has decreased by almost a quarter. The Ministry of Internal Affairs associates this with increased control over the identification and suppression of the facts of abuse by foreign citizens of the right to obtain such statuses in a simplified manner.

Despite the strengthening of migration control, according to Rosstat, the migration growth in Russia in 2024 amounted to 568.5 thousand people. Migration growth by 95.4% compensated for the natural decline in the country's population.

Such a high migration increase was last recorded in Russia in 1995, when it amounted to 599 thousand people.

Strengthening control over migration flows and increasing the number of expulsions of foreigners is part of Russia's migration policy aimed at ensuring the legality of the stay of foreign citizens in the country. These measures are designed to reduce illegal migration and ensure compliance with migration laws.^[1]

The increase in the number of expulsions of foreigners from Russia doubled to 80 thousand citizens

In 2024, more than 80 thousand foreign citizens and stateless persons were forcibly expelled from Russia. This is more than twice the figures for 2023, when the country forced 44.2 thousand people to leave its territory. Such data of the FSSP of Russia were published in January 2025.

According to TASS, the decision to expel foreigners was made by the courts following the results of the identified violations of migration legislation. Among the deportees were citizens of 60 states. For comparison, in 2022, deportations covered 47 countries, and the total number of expelled then amounted to 26.6 thousand people.

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Фото: Freepik

The largest number of migrants were expelled from Moscow and the Moscow region - 23 thousand people. They were found guilty of violating the rules of entry or stay in Russia, which is regulated by article 18.8 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. The court decisions also provide for a five-year ban on entry for these individuals.

According to the FSSP of Russia, the increase in the number of deportations is due to increased control over migration legislation and raids in different regions of the country. During 2024, large operations were recorded, for example, in the Moscow region, where citizens of Latin America were expelled from Russia for numerous violations.

The head of the FSSP Dmitry Aristov previously reported that in the period from 2017 to 2022, about 200 thousand foreign citizens were expelled from Russia for violations of migration rules and labor legislation. However, 2024 was the record for the number of deportations over the past few years.

Since the beginning of February 2024, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia have received additional powers that allow them to make decisions on forced expulsion. This accelerated the process of enforcement of court orders, which also affected the increase in the number of deportees.^[2]

2023: 110,000 illegal migrants expelled

In 2023, about 110 thousand illegal migrants were expelled or deported from Russia, which is 65% more than in 2022. Such data are the head of the MVDVladimir Kolokoltsev at a meeting of the board of the department on April 2, 2024.

According to him, in 2023, the Ministry of Internal Affairs issued 35 thousand decisions to reduce the period of temporary stay in the Russian Federation. At the same time, the number of facts of organization of illegal migration revealed by the police increased by 90%. At the same time, according to statistics from Vladimir Kolokoltsev, in 2023 the number of crimes committed by migrants decreased. For example, the number of murders decreased by 18%, thefts - by 14%, robberies - by 32%, robberies - by 22%.

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Фото: Unsplash

As for the illegal behavior of visitors, here the position is principled - they must clearly know that in the Russian Federation it is necessary to comply with the laws, take into account our cultural and moral values, - said the Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia.

In Moscow, in 2023, law enforcement agencies identified about 224 thousand cases of violation of migration legislation, 42 thousand migrants were deported. This is stated in the report of the capital's headquarters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It follows from it that in 2023 in Moscow about 7.5 thousand facts of illegal labor activity and almost 8 thousand violations of the procedure for attracting foreign citizens to labor in the Russian Federation were established.

According to Vladimir Kolokoltsev, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, together with the Government of the Russian Federation, has drawn up a comprehensive action plan for the implementation of the concept of state migration policy in 2024-2025. Part of this plan is the development of a digital profile of a foreign citizen, which implies the registration of a person in the information system even before entering Russia.^[3]

2022: Number of migrants deported from Russia rises 2.5-fold

The number of migrants deported from Russia in 2022 increased 2.5 times compared to 2021. The head of the MVDVladimir Kolokoltsev cited such data at the expanded board of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the participation of Vladimir Putin in March 2023.

About 300 thousand inspections were carried out in the residential sector and places of work of migrants, construction facilities, trade and services. The result of the integrated approach was an increase by more than 2.5 times in the number of persons expelled and deported for redistributions of the Russian Federation, Kolokoltsev said, without naming the number of deportees.

The number of migrants deported from Russia increased 2.5 times over the year

According to the minister, the Ministry of Internal Affairs continues to control the situation related to compliance with migration legislation. The head of the department clarified that in 2022 the number of violations of the law increased by almost 50% compared to 2021. In addition, in 2022, a total of 106 crimes were recorded by specialists to organize illegal migration. The entrance to the territory of Russia was closed by more than 48 thousand foreigners, in addition, for 33 thousand people decided on administrative expulsion.

In May 2022, the chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Leksander Bastrykin, said that in 2022 Russia recorded an increase in the number of serious crimes committed by migrants in large cities - by 37%, to 15 thousand. Earlier, Bastrykin announced a fivefold increase in the number of criminal cases against migrants under serious articles in 2022. According to him, over the past year, 4729 appeals were received regarding crimes involving foreign citizens, as a result, 4231 criminal cases were initiated.

Migrants form ethnic organized criminal groups. According to Kolokoltsev, in 2022, the illegal activities of 130 groups created on a national basis were suppressed. Their involvement in extortion, robberies, robberies, illegal migration has been proven.^[4]

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