Illegal immigration to Russia

Illegal immigration to Russia has been ongoing.

In 2012, the Russian Federal Security Service's Border Service stated there had been an increase in illegal migration from former Soviet states, such as Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova. Under legal changes made in 2012, illegal immigrants who are caught will be banned from reentering the country for ten years.[1][2]

In 2021, according to Russian Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Gorovoy, there are more than 1 million illegal immigrants from CIS countries currently living in Russia.[3]

According to Interior Ministry data, more than 332,000 illegal migrants from Uzbekistan currently reside in Russia, along with 247,000 from Tajikistan, 152,000 from Ukraine, 120,000 from Azerbaijan, 115,000 from Kyrgyzstan, 61,000 from Armenia, 56,000 from Moldova and 49,000 from Kazakhstan.[4]

An organization opposed to illegal immigration called Movement Against Illegal Immigration was active in Russia from 2002 until 2011, when it was banned.

Due to Russia's declining population, and the low birth rates and high death rates of Russian citizens, the Russian government has tried to increase immigration to the country in the last decade;[5] which has led to millions of migrants flow into Russia from mainly post-Soviet states, many of whom are illegal and remain undocumented.[6][7][8]

In 2024, at least 80,000 illegal migrants were deported from Russia, a rise from 44,200 deportations in 2023. At least 23,000 were deported from the from the Moscow area in 2024.[9]

Between June and October 2025, Russian authorities launched the 'Nelegal' operation, in which 19,000 illegal migrants were deported from Russia and 4,800 criminal cases were initiated on charges related to the organization of illegal migration, and about 1,500 additional cases were filed for other offenses, including the illegal trafficking of drugs and weapons, illegal border crossings, and crimes related to terrorism and extremism.[10]

Between January 2025 and January 2026, amid new migration legislation, a 10% reduction in the number of foreigners living in Russia was shown. In 2026, the foreign population in Russia was shown at 5.7 million down from 6.3 million the year before.[11]

Read more: https://www.asiaplustj.info/en/news/world/20251120/over-19000-migrants-deported-from-russia-in-2025-as-part-of-nelegal-operation

See also

References

  1. ^ "Illegal immigrants can be barred from Russia for 5-10 years". The Voice of Russia. Retrieved 2012-04-06.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  2. ^ "Russia closed for immigration?". Russia Beyond The Headlines. Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  3. ^ Teslova, Elena (17 April 2021). "Russia demands 1M illegal migrants to leave country". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Russia Tells Illegal Migrants from Post-Soviet Countries to Leave By June 15". The Moscow Times. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  5. ^ Foltynova, Kristyna (19 June 2020). "Migrants Welcome: Is Russia Trying To Solve Its Demographic Crisis By Attracting Foreigners?". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 9 July 2021. Russia has been trying to boost fertility rates and reduce death rates for several years now. Special programs for families have been implemented, anti-tobacco campaigns have been organized, and raising the legal age to buy alcohol was considered. However, perhaps the most successful strategy so far has been attracting migrants, whose arrival helps Russia to compensate population losses.
  6. ^ Krassinets, Eugene. "Illegal migration and employment in Russia" (PDF). International Labour Organization. United Nations. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  7. ^ Teslova, Elena (17 April 2021). "Russia demands 1M illegal migrants to leave country". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 30 December 2021. More than 1 million illegal immigrants from CIS countries currently live in Russia...
  8. ^ "Russia Tells Illegal Migrants from Post-Soviet Countries to Leave By June 15". The Moscow Times. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021. According to Interior Ministry data, more than 332,000 illegal migrants from Uzbekistan currently reside in Russia, along with 247,000 from Tajikistan, 152,000 from Ukraine, 120,000 from Azerbaijan, 115,000 from Kyrgyzstan, 61,000 from Armenia, 56,000 from Moldova and 49,000 from Kazakhstan.
  9. ^ "Russia deported more than 80,000 migrants in 2024 — almost twice as many as the year before". meduza.io. 9 January 2025.
  10. ^ "Over 19,000 migrants deported from Russia in 2025 as part of "Nelegal" Operation". asiaplustj.com. 20 November 2025.
  11. ^ "Migrant Crackdown Leads to 10% Drop in Foreigners Residing in Russia". The Moscow Times. 29 January 2026.
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