The Investigative Committee of Russia is seeking new grounds for revoking citizenship

The Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin, known for his strict stance on migration issues, proposed to expand the list of grounds for revoking Russian citizenship from individuals born outside the country.

At an extended meeting of the agency’s board, Bastrykin suggested revoking acquired Russian citizenship for any intentional serious or particularly serious crime.

Bastrykin explained that the position is based on the belief that naturalized citizens who commit such extremely dangerous acts “lose their political and legal connection with the state.”

He also noted that retaining citizenship in such cases undermines public trust in the institution of citizenship as a whole.

Bastrykin also stated that in 2025, foreigners and stateless persons committed 41,103 crimes, which is almost 7% higher than the figure for 2024.

In his opinion, the ongoing migration processes in the country should be placed under strict state control, reliably ensuring Russia’s national interests and the rights of its citizens.

At the same time, the share of crimes committed by migrants remains insignificant compared to the overall crime rate in Russia: in 2024, more than 1.77 million crimes were registered in the country.

The proposal from the head of the Investigative Committee came against the backdrop of a statement by the Chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, that in 2025, citizenship was revoked for more than 1,300 individuals in Russia.

Alongside the expansion of grounds for revoking citizenship, Russian authorities are taking steps to tighten the rules for obtaining citizenship, residence permits, and temporary stay permits for foreign citizens.

The Russian government has also submitted a bill to the State Duma, according to which foreigners will be denied citizenship and the issuance of temporary residence permits (RVP) or residence permits (VNZh) if they have an unexpunged or outstanding criminal record for any crime. This requirement will not apply to children under 14 years old.

For Ukrainian citizens, a separate provision is provided: for two years after the law comes into force, they will be exempt from the obligation to provide information about any criminal record.