MOSCOW, December 30. /TASS/. Immigrants currently present in Russia illegally must leave the country or legalize their status until April 30, says Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decree, signed in development of the law on deportation of illegal immigrants.
According to the law, adopted earlier in August, the deportation regime will enter into effect on February 5, 2025. It will be applied to foreigners that have no legal grounds for their stay in Russia. All citizens of this category will be included into the list of monitored persons until their deportation or legalization.
The deportation requirement will not be applied to foreigners, who want to stay on legal grounds and have met several preconditions: provided their biometric data, passed tests for drugs and infections, provided certificates of proficiency in the Russian language, knowledge of Russia’s history and law, and paid off their debts. They also must not have any grounds for termination of their work patent, work or stay permits.
The law will be relaxed for foreigners, who signed a contract on military service in the Russian Armed Forces or militias. Any decisions on deportation, readmission, entry ban or undesirability of stay made earlier against them will be terminated.
However, these relaxations will not cover foreigners who pose a threat to Russia’s national security, including calls for a forced change of the Constitutional order. This category also includes people, involved in extremist or terrorist activities, who violate public order or public security, take part in unauthorized rallies, protests or gatherings.
The Ministry of the Interior was tasked with the implementation of these measures. The Health Ministry was tasked with medical examination of the abovementioned migrants. The Russian Foreign Ministry must inform foreign states about the measures, implied by the abovementioned decree. The document enters into effect on January 1.