Migrants in Moscow

• Migration from Russia and to Russia
• Economy of Moscow

2025: Moscow and Moscow region begin to track the location of migrants through their smartphones

The authorities of Moscow and the Moscow region from September 1, 2025 will begin to control the location of foreign citizens entering the capital region using a special mobile application. The corresponding bill was adopted by the State Duma in May 2025. Read more here.

2023: The total contribution of migrants to the GRP of Moscow reached 25 %

The total contribution of all categories of migrants to the Moscow economy annually reaches 25% of gross regional product (GRP). This is stated in the material published at the end of October 2025 by the National Research University "Higher School of Economics" (HSE).

Analysts estimate the contribution of migrants to the production of gross regional product and the budget of Moscow for the period from 2017 to 2023. The overall rate for all categories of migrants varies from 23% to 25% annually. The exception was 2020, when due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the value dropped to about 21%.

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Фото: Freepik

The main role in the economy of the Russian capital is played by internal migrants: in particular, pendulums provide 8-9% of production, and rotational - 5-7%. Pendulums include people who work in Moscow, but live in another region and go there daily. Rotational migrants are those who work in the capital, but live permanently in other regions of the country: they travel home once a week and less often. The contribution of international labor migrants varies from 3% to 8%, but at the same time gradually increases. In addition, a certain contribution is provided by permanent migrants who moved to Moscow from other regions of Russia and from abroad no more than five years ago.

Significant differences in the role of migrants are observed in the sectoral context. Thus, international migrants make the largest contribution in the field of construction (from 15 to 33%) and trade (6-12%). At the same time, in the social sphere and professional activities in Moscow, they are practically not represented. The study said that all groups of working migrants, with the exception of permanent ones, provide more budget revenues, not city spending. On average, the remuneration of international migrants is about 70% of the salary of Muscovites in a similar area of ​ ​ activity.^[1]

2022: Number of migrants expelled from Moscow doubles

In 2022 To Moscow , 396 thousand foreigners were removed from migration registration in connection with the identification of the facts of a fictitious statement, which is 45% more than a year ago. Such figures in mid-March 2023 were cited by the head of the main department MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Russia for Moscow, Oleg Baranov, speaking with a report in. To the Moscow City Duma

The issue of countering illegal migration remains significant for the capital. In the reporting period, the number of decisions made by the judicial authorities on the expulsion of foreign citizens and stateless persons outside the Russian Federation more than doubled, he said (quoted by Interfax).

In Moscow, the number of migrants expelled per year has doubled

According to him, an important issue is the illegal use of foreign labor in Moscow. So, in 2022, 7.5 thousand cases of illegal labor activity and more than 9.5 thousand facts of violation of the employment of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation were revealed. Baranov also announced the initiation of 106 head cases under Article 322 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of illegal migration).^[2]

According to the Moscow mayor's office, in 2022, foreign citizens working in the capital on labor patents transferred almost 32 billion rubles of personal income tax (NDFL) to the city budget. This amount was a record for all eight years of operation of the labor patent system for migrants. Compared to 2021, the volume of deductions increased by 45%.

Today, labor migrants work in such important industries for the capital as construction, housing and communal services, trade, transport, delivery, occupying positions that Muscovites are most often reluctant to work for. In addition, foreign citizens make a significant contribution to the city's economy, "said Maria Bagreeva, Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Department of Economic Policy and Development.

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