Moscow has been enforcing stricter laws for foreigners in the country since a major terrorist attack last year
The number of foreign nationals expelled from Russia reached 190,000 last year, Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk announced on Wednesday. The country adopted stricter migration laws following a foreign-organized terrorist attack on a concert venue outside Moscow in March 2024, in which four gunmen killed 145 people and injured over 500 others.
The jihadist group ISIS-K, the Afghan branch of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), claimed responsibility for the attack, which was carried out by Tajik nationals. Many of those suspected of aiding the attackers were also foreign nationals from Central Asia, some with prior criminal records.
Over 157,000 foreigners were expelled from the country in 2024 due to law violations, Volk said in a statement on her Telegram channel, a 45% increase compared to 2023. She added that the ministry issued over 267,000 orders denying people entry, up 54% from 2023.
“Additionally, the number of issued temporary residence permits decreased twofold, while the number of permanent residence permits dropped by almost a quarter,” Volk said, emphasizing that the drop is attributed to stricter control measures aimed at “detecting and preventing cases of foreign citizens abusing the right to obtain such statuses through a simplified procedure.”
In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree requiring illegal migrants to either legalize their status or leave Russia by April 30, 2025.
Last year, several new laws were enacted to monitor illegal migration through a register of “controlled persons.” Additionally, starting February 5, 2025, the expulsion of undocumented foreigners no longer requires a court ruling.
Organizing illegal migration has now been classified as a particularly serious offense. Penalties include the confiscation of financial assets or property acquired through human trafficking. The measure aims to eliminate economic incentives for criminals and disrupt illegal migration networks.
