In Russia, there are plans to ban diasporas and tighten rules on hiring foreigners

The State Duma of Russia has considered new measures to restrict labor conditions and new rules for attracting migrants.

In particular, a deputy of the State Duma and leader of the party “Fair Russia – For Truth” raised the issue of banning diasporas, introducing biometric control at the border, and a new mechanism for “arrived, worked, left.”

This was stated by the Chairman of the Fair Russia – For Truth party and head of the party faction in the State Duma, Sergey Mironov, in an interview with RTVI, supporting the initiative of the Ministry of Labor.

The Ministry of Labor of Russia has developed an initiative that will limit the ability to attract foreign citizens in a number of economic sectors starting in 2026.

The deputy noted that his party proposed similar measures back in July 2024, but the government rejected the bill, insisting that the subjects of the federation already have the right to impose such restrictions.

According to Mironov, the existing laws and mechanisms in Russia are ineffective, as under current legislation, regions can only limit foreigners working on the basis of patents. However, many migrants work without patents, and regions cannot do anything about them. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labor’s decision, like the party’s initiative, concerns all foreign citizens, Mironov believes.

Mironov proposed a comprehensive approach, including a ban on diasporas, biometric controls at the border, and a “shift method based on the principle of ‘three P’s’ — ‘arrived — worked — said goodbye.’

According to data from the Border Service of the FSB, more than 4.7 million citizens from Central Asian countries entered Russia in the first six months of 2025, which is 3.8% less compared to the same period last year.

Sergey Mironov noted that this decline is not evidence of the effectiveness of migration policy. According to him, even the existing measures force many migrants to move into the shadow economy, and tightening the rules may exacerbate this trend.

While the deputy speaks of banning diasporas, many of them are engaged in cultural programs and the protection of migrants’ rights, and their elimination could further worsen the situation of migrants in Russia.