Russia doubles the grounds for deporting foreigners, adding offenses like disobeying border guards and ‘discrediting’ the army

Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of parliament, passed legislation on second and third readings expanding the grounds on which foreigners can be expelled from the country.
The offenses added to the list include:
- participating in unauthorized rallies;
- “discrediting” the Russian military;
- calling for sanctions against Russia;
- violating the requirements of a state of emergency, a counterterrorism operation, or martial law;
- discharging firearms in prohibited locations;
- obstructing traffic;
- disobeying law enforcement;
- petty hooliganism;
- discrimination;
- disobeying border guards.
The same legislation raises fines for violating rules governing border crossings, entry into Russia, and the terms of residence in the country, as well as for the illegal employment of foreigners and the illegal hiring of foreign workers.
In a separate measure, the State Duma passed a law barring foreigners with criminal records from obtaining Russian citizenship. A criminal conviction — whether for offenses committed in Russia or abroad — will also serve as grounds for denying a residence permit or temporary residence authorization.
Foreigners applying for documents to reside in Russia will be required to provide a certificate confirming they have no criminal record, starting from age 14. Exceptions apply to children, foreigners with refugee status, and citizens of foreign countries “serving under contract in the Russian Armed Forces or who have participated in combat operations as part of those forces.”
Russian authorities have significantly tightened immigration policy in recent years. A registry of monitored individuals was created, and people can end up on it by mistake. A mandatory Russian language test was introduced for enrolling foreign children in schools. Authorities also restricted the expedited pathway to residency permits for foreigners married to Russian citizens.
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Facts Only

* The State Duma passed legislation expanding the grounds for expelling foreigners on second and third readings.
* Added offenses include participating in unauthorized rallies, "discrediting" the Russian military, calling for sanctions against Russia, violating state of emergency/counterterrorism/martial law requirements, discharging firearms in prohibited locations, obstructing traffic, disobeying law enforcement, petty hooliganism, discrimination, and disobeying border guards.
* Fines are increased for violating rules governing border crossings, entry into Russia, residence terms, illegal employment of foreigners, and illegal hiring of foreign workers.
* A law bars foreigners with criminal records from obtaining Russian citizenship.
* Criminal convictions, whether domestic or foreign, can deny residence permits or temporary residence authorizations.
* Foreigners applying for residency documents must provide a certificate confirming no criminal record starting at age 14.
* Exceptions to the certificate requirement exist for children, refugees, and citizens serving in the Russian Armed Forces or who participated in combat operations.
* Russian authorities have created a registry of monitored individuals.
* A mandatory Russian language test was introduced for enrolling foreign children in schools.
* The expedited pathway to residency permits for foreigners married to Russian citizens was restricted.

Executive Summary

Legislation passed by the Russian State Duma expands the grounds for expelling foreigners and increases fines related to border crossing, residence terms, and employment. The expanded grounds for expulsion include actions such as participating in unauthorized rallies, "discrediting" the Russian military, calling for sanctions, violating emergency or martial law requirements, discharging firearms illegally, obstructing traffic, disobeying law enforcement, petty hooliganism, discrimination, and disobeying border guards. Furthermore, a law was passed barring foreigners with criminal records from obtaining Russian citizenship, and any criminal conviction, regardless of location, can serve as grounds for denying residence permits. Applicants seeking residency must provide a certificate of no criminal record starting from age 14, with limited exceptions for certain categories of individuals. Russian authorities have also implemented measures such as creating a registry of monitored individuals, introducing a mandatory Russian language test for foreign school enrollment, and restricting expedited residency pathways for spouses of Russian citizens.

Full Take

The bundling of politically charged and behavioral infractions—from dissent against the state to specific interactions with border agents—into grounds for expulsion creates a framework that prioritizes state control over individual liberty by equating non-compliance with severe legal penalties. The mechanism where criminal history, domestic or international, directly overrides immigration status establishes a system where historical actions determine present legal existence within the state. This stratification implies a deliberate shift toward defining belonging not merely by legal presence but by ideological conformity and demonstrated loyalty to the existing political structure. The focus on mandatory language tests and centralized monitoring reflects an architecture designed for assimilation rather than integration, raising questions about the nature of sovereignty when physical entry is conditional upon ideological alignment and historical record scrubbing. Who benefits from a system that demands perpetual certification of loyalty and compliance? What happens to the agency of those who do not conform to these increasingly strict, performative requirements? What precedent does this set for defining human dignity within a state apparatus?

Russia doubles the grounds for deporting foreigners, adding offenses like disobeying border guards and ‘discrediting’ the army

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