The Ministry of Internal Affairs published migration statistics for 2024
There are fewer foreigners become Russian citizens, and also receive permission to live in the Russian Federation – this is evidenced by the statistics of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. So, in 2024, 209 thousand “new Russians” received passports, this is a record low in the last five years. But the number of foreigners sent from Russia turned out to be recordly high. The Ministry of Internal Affairs explains the tendency to tighten control in the migration sphere. The experts surveyed “Kommersant” believe that the statistics were also affected by the conduct of his own, the terrorist attack in Crocus and the lack of “targeted work” on the repatriation of compatriots.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs published annual migration statistics in January -December 2024. During this period, 209 thousand people received Russian citizenship (44.8% less than in 2023) – and this is the minimum indicator over the past five years. Also, the department much less often issued foreigners to foreigners legalizing their stay in Russia. In 2024, 44.5 thousand people (minus 50.4% compared with 2023) were issued temporary residence permit, and a residence permit – 214.9 thousand (falling 21.3%).
The ministry associates a sharp decrease in the number of “new Russians” with the fact that most residents of new regions received passports in simplified mode in 2022–2023. In addition, the trend is due to the “tightening of control” in the field of migration.
In 2024, 190.2 thousand people were expelled or deported from the country (31.1% more than in 2023). Of these, 157 thousand foreigners were forced to leave the country due to violations of Russian legislation (+44.6%).
1757 people lost citizenship (the department did not indicate data over the past years). “In addition, the internal affairs bodies have intensified work to limit the entry into the country of foreign citizens who do not comply with the requirements of Russian legislation,” the Ministry of Internal Affairs added. The police sent 267.2 thousand ideas about the non -public entry into Russia, this is 93.8 thousand more than in 2023.
The first deputy chairman of the Duma Committee on CIS Affairs Konstantin Zatulin (United Russia) sees other reasons for a decrease in the number of people who want to obtain Russian citizenship. “When you are waging a war that has not yet ended; when you are under sanctions; When, at least in the West, the word « Russian », like « Russia », becomes a curse, you can hardly count on the fact that at that moment there will be a massive influx, « he said to Kommersant.
The deputy also believes that “purposeful work” on the resettlement and repatriation of compatriots “has not been conducted for a long time”. Previously “Kommersant” reportedthat in 2024 31.7 thousand compatriots used the voluntary resettlement program – the minimum number over the past 14 years. Most of the « new citizens » moved from Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. “People are outraged by the fact that Tajiks and Uzbeks become compatriots, in some regions, for this reason, they stop the program of the resettlement of compatriots,” the parliamentarian concluded. Recall that Mr. Zatulin this week introduced a bill on repatriation on ethnicity to parliament – for representatives of the “indigenous peoples” of Russia. The deputy proposes to use DNA tests for this (See “Kommersant” from March 26).
“Crocus also influenced,” said Vyacheslav Provarovnin, head of the Center for analytical and practical studies of migration processes. Recall that the performers of the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall on March 22, 2024, presumably, were citizens of Tajikistan. After the tragedy, control over the entrance and stay of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation was significantly tightened. “Russia has lost the hunt to distribute citizenship. At first he was handed out to the right and left, and after this incident they decided to do the opposite, ”says Mr. Podavnin.
