The Russian State Duma has passed amendments in the first reading to laws concerning the stay of foreigners in Russia. Now, they will only be able to obtain a temporary residence permit (RVP) after two years of marriage to a Russian citizen, as reported by Meduza.
The amendments have been made to the texts of two laws - on entry and exit from Russia and on the legal status of foreign citizens in the country. Previously, a foreigner could obtain an RVP upon entering into marriage with a Russian citizen residing in Russia, but now they will need to live together for at least two years.
Furthermore, according to a press release from the State Duma, the amendments are aimed at "combating cases of issuing fictitious adoption documents by foreigners" who want to obtain an RVP in Russia.
State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin referred to sham marriages and adoptions as "loopholes for illegal migration" that need to be stopped. He emphasized that if foreigners want to live in Russia, they must "know the Russian language, laws, respect the culture and traditions, and enter into marriage solely for the purpose of starting a family."
The bill was introduced to the State Duma on November 1, 2023, but remained stagnant until March. Among its authors are senators Andrey Klishas, Irina Rukavishnikova, Yuri Valyaev, and State Duma deputy Viktor Vodolatsky.
Following the terrorist attack at the "Crocus City Hall," the perpetrators of which, according to law enforcement agencies, hold Tajik citizenship, Russia has started to tighten the rules of stay for foreigners. The Ministry of Internal Affairs proposed reducing their stay in the country to 90 days within a year, instead of six months as before, and collecting their biometric data upon entry.
In the days following the attack, police conducted raids in various cities to identify foreign citizens who did not have the right to stay in Russia. St. Petersburg courts issued several hundred decisions on the forced deportation of foreigners for violations of immigration laws.
