Duma: "Good Luck, Migrants!"

At a time when xenophobia and labor shortages are on the rise in Russia, Duma legislators have presented a new package of five anti-immigration laws. 

On September 29, Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin posted on Telegram, "We are returning to the conversation about improving migration policy." Yet, the issue of migration and xenophobia is not new in Russia.

According to Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Fellow Temur Umarov, Russian society was becoming "increasingly accepting of newcomers." However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine halted that trend.

Xenophobia further spiked after the shooting that killed 145 people at Moscow's Crocus City Hall on March 24. Central Asians with ties to the Islamic State were behind the attack. Russia began to expel migrants en masse, detain them at borders, and threaten to send them to fight in Ukraine. Migrants from Central Asia were especially targeted.

On October 1, five bills were submitted to the Duma. The first measure required recognizing a migrant's illegal status as an aggravating circumstance in any criminal case. The second item proposes to classify the organization of illegal migration as a crime punishable by 15 years of imprisonment and millions of rubles in fines. 

Another added measure is the criminalization of the forgery of documents and fictitious registration with a penalty of up to R60 million ($627) and six years in prison. Individuals such as Tatyana Kotlyar, who allowed migrants to register themselves under her address to access benefits, are now criminally liable.

The legislative package also includes the extrajudicial blocking of websites selling counterfeit documents and a ban on intermediary organizations accepting exams from migrants. The Deputy Chairperson of the Duma's Migration Committee, Irina Yarovaya, also suggested testing newcomers for hepatitis B and C upon entry.

These are not the only restrictions imposed on migrants since 2024. More than ten regions have introduced restrictions on the work of foreigners in taxis, public transport, retail, and education, among other areas.

A "register of migrants" was also announced. A list of "controlled persons," which includes the names of illegal immigrants whose residency permits have expired, is expected to be made publicly available. 

Migrants are not the only ones facing persecution. The chairwoman of the migrant rights NGO "Civic Assistance," Svetlana Gannushkina, was also targeted in legislation. The telegram channel "Rybar," which is affiliated with the Ministry of Defense, accused 82-year-old Gannuskina of having connections with British intelligence. The next day, the FSB knocked on the organization's door while Gannuskina wasn't there. 

Organizations like Gannushkina's previously received grants from the government and worked together with officials. Umarov told Mediazona, "The same activity that was encouraged (...) is now criminal. Literally, three years ago they could [help migrants], but today it is no longer possible."