According to Perezhogin, the main factor for the reduction is the decrease in the number of minor migrants, which has fallen by nearly 25%. He also noted that the final data for 2025 will be presented in February. Regarding foreign citizens who have not provided legal conditions for their children's stay in Russia, decisions on undesirable residence may be issued, as well as in cases where they have not ensured their children's access to basic education, added the official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Irina Volk, in her Telegram channel on January 27.
Starting January 28, 2026, a new law will come into effect that provides for the exchange of data about migrant children between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and educational institutions, Volk reported. This will allow the ministry to obtain information on whether the children have been registered for migration accounting or removed from it, which will help "quickly identify their educational needs," as stated by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation in November 2025.
Moreover, the Ministry of Education and local educational authorities will be required to provide the Ministry of Internal Affairs with information about applications from migrants for enrolling children in schools or colleges. The information transfer will also concern the results of Russian language testing and facts of children's enrollment or expulsion.
The decrease in the number of migrants in Russia may also be related to the tightening of migration legislation, believes Anna Minushkina, head of the law firm "Minushkina and Partners." Previously, foreigners violating the laws could remain in the country until they were detained, whereas now they immediately enter the register of controlled persons (RCL). She noted that before the legislative changes, foreigners could freely manage their funds, which helped them to legalize their status.
However, with the introduction of the expulsion law, the situation has changed. Now, migrants who violate the rules cannot use their accounts; they only have access to 30,000 rubles or funds to pay fines, which forces them to leave the country, and in some cases, they cannot return if they are banned from entry, Minushkina added.
Sofia Baturo, the first deputy general director of the recruitment firm "Intrud," also noted the impact of the RCL and the expulsion regime on the reduction of the number of migrants, as well as on the new restrictions on the duration of stay. From January 1, 2025, the temporary stay period for foreigners arriving without a visa cannot exceed 90 days within a calendar year, unlike the previous 90/180 rule.
Photo on the main page - Evgeny Razumny/"Vedomosti".
