Fewer migrants from Central Asia, more from India and China

Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and a severe labor shortage, Russia is attracting more and more migrants from third countries. At the same time, the number of migrants from Central Asia is decreasing.

According to Russian media, from January to September 2026, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia issued about 215.3 thousand work permits to foreign citizens, which is 21% more than in the same period last year.

The most permits were issued in the Central Federal District — 68.5 thousand. This is followed by the Far Eastern Federal District — 58.5 thousand and the Northwestern Federal District — 54.9 thousand. These three districts account for about 84.5% of all permits issued in the first nine months.

Among the regions, the leaders are St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region (51.4 thousand permits), Moscow (29.6 thousand), Moscow Region (23.1 thousand), Primorsky Krai (13.2 thousand), and Amur Region (10.5 thousand).

Along with the increase in the number of foreign workers, the countries of origin of the labor force are also changing. Instead of Central Asian countries, Russia is increasingly focusing on attracting workers from distant foreign countries, including China, India, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.

In 2025, about 92.2 thousand work permits were issued to Chinese citizens, 56.5 thousand to Indian citizens, 23.5 thousand to Vietnamese citizens, and about 9.4 thousand to Bangladeshi citizens.

This trend continues in 2026. In just the first half of the year, about 70.4 thousand work permits were issued to Chinese citizens, 33.7 thousand to Indian citizens, and about 10 thousand to Vietnamese citizens.

Despite the growing demand for foreign workers, Russia is increasingly tightening its migration policy. After the attack on “Krokus City Hall” in 2024, law enforcement agencies began conducting mass raids at the workplaces and residences of migrants, checking documents, and monitoring their stay and movement. Citizens of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, who make up the main labor force in the country, are particularly affected by this.

As a result of such raids, thousands of people have been fined for violating migration rules, deported from the country, or banned from entering Russia.

Additionally, migrants are being forcibly recruited to sign contracts with the Russian armed forces, and in some cases, they are offered Russian citizenship as an incentive.

All of this has led to a reduction in the flow of migrants from the CIS and EAEU countries, especially from Central Asian countries. Currently, these countries are actively seeking new labor migration destinations. For example, Uzbekistan is expanding cooperation in the field of migration with Germany, South Korea, and Japan.

In this context, Russia is striving to meet the growing demand in the labor market through other countries, including China, India, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.