Yuri Stankevich: "Worked — left." It is exactly this approach to attracting migrants to Russia that our citizens demand.

      23 September 2025 16:26 Politics

      At a meeting of parliamentary faction leaders with Russian President Vladimir Putin, migration policy issues were once again discussed. Possible federal-level solutions were outlined by State Duma deputy from Nizhny Novgorod Oblast Yuri Stankevich.

      According to him, more than twenty federal laws on migration were adopted in 2024–2025 at the initiative of deputies. Their main goal is to strengthen control over the stay in Russia of foreigners whose services are in demand in construction, housing and communal services, agriculture and other sectors of the economy.

      "The amendments have sharply tightened criminal liability for organizing illegal migration, a registry of controlled persons has been created, the procedure for expulsion in case of offenses has been simplified, and oversight of Russian language exams has been strengthened," the parliamentarian noted.

      Stankevich emphasized that citizens' discontent is linked not so much to the use of migrant labor itself as to migrants' unwillingness to assimilate, their disregard for norms of public behavior and the formation of ethnic enclaves in large cities.

      "It is quite logical that the next step in restoring order should be a ban on the arrival of family members of migrants who have temporary work permits," the deputy added.

      He noted that so far the government has not presented to the State Duma its vision of the so‑called "return migration" model. In his view, the policy can be effective only after a visa regime is established with the countries from which the largest flow of arrivals comes, primarily from Central Asia and the South Caucasus.

      "A strict regime for workers' stays, not allowing their family members to be in Russia at the same time, will reduce the burden on healthcare and education and also improve the crime situation," Stankevich said.

      Equally important, he added, is conducting a comprehensive assessment of the labor market at the federal level and determining the objective need for foreign labor.

      "The economy is changing, new technologies are being introduced, robotization is developing. Attracting migrants is acceptable only when a shortage of personnel is confirmed. One cannot create artificial competition in which it is easier for an employer to invite an arrival for a lower salary," the parliamentarian stressed.

      He also proposed taking into account the experience of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, where the list of economic sectors in which the use of migrant labor is prohibited is adjusted annually.

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