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New law will help migrants staying in Russia legalize their status - Interior Ministry

The initiative implies that all persons, who stay in Russia with violations of established rules for migrants will be given an opportunity to settle their legal status within a certain period of time

MOSCOW, April 4. /TASS/. The Interior Ministry is developing a bill that will allow foreigners and persons without citizenship to legalize their stay in Russia, despite the existing violations, the ministry’s press service told TASS.

"The bill will determine the procedure and conditions for the stay of foreign citizens and persons without citizenship who find themselves in special circumstances," the ministry’s spokesman said.

The initiative implies that all persons, who stay in Russia with violations of established rules for migrants on the date the new federal law comes into force will be given an opportunity to settle their legal status within a certain period of time, the ministry’s official explained.

He added that administrative measures will not be applied to these citizens, and the measures taken earlier will be canceled.

The Interior Ministry reported that the development of the draft law is being carried out as part of a large-scale work on reforming the migration legislation of the Russian Federation in accordance with the implementation of the Concept of State Migration Policy. The concept of the bill has been approved by the government.

Legal status and temporary certificates

The ministry noted that now the so-called "migration amnesty", which allows any state agency or official to make a decision on the legal status of foreigners, is absent at the legislative level in Russia. At the same time, there are a number of laws that enable certain categories of foreigners and stateless persons to legalize their position in the country. Under the law on citizenship, the President of the Russian Federation can, for humanitarian purposes, determine the categories of persons who have the right to apply for Russian citizenship. The document also established that certain categories of persons who have been in a country with an indefinite legal status for a long time can obtain Russian citizenship in a simplified manner.

"This category of citizens cannot be held administratively liable for violation of the rules of entry into the Russian Federation, the regime of stay (residence), illegal employment or violation of immigration rules, if such violations were identified in connection with the submission by these persons of an application to recognize them as citizens of the Russian Federation," the official said.

In addition, the law is also aimed at regulating the legal status, providing for the issuance of temporary identity cards for a period of ten years for stateless persons in the territory of the Russian Federation. It will enter into force on August 24, 2021.