MOSCOW, January 21. /TASS/. Members of the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) have passed in first reading a bill banning the deportation of foreign nationals who took part in military operations as part of the Russian Armed Forces.

The Russian government submitted the bill to the house in November 2025.

The new rules will apply to foreign citizens and stateless persons who served under contract and took part in military operations within the ranks of the Russian Armed Forces or other Russian military formations. The bill bans the deportation of such foreigners from Russia. In addition, they cannot be denied temporary residence permits, residence permits, or work permits. Documents already issued to them cannot be revoked.

In addition, the authors of the initiative suggest that all decisions to deport such individuals, shorten the period of temporary residence, or deny them such documents, which were made after February 24, 2022, should not be implemented. According to the bill, these decisions will become invalid.

If passed by the State Duma in the third reading and signed by the Russian president, the bill will take effect ten days after its publication.