Severe Punishments Proposed in Russia for Illegal Provision of Documents to Migrants

The deputies of the "Fair Russia - For Truth" faction in the State Duma, led by the party leader Sergey Mironov, are set to introduce a bill aimed at establishing criminal liability for the illegal provision of temporary residence permits, residence permits, and Russian citizenship to migrants, with penalties of up to seven years in prison. The document has been made available to RIA Novosti.

According to information from the party's press service, the relevant amendments to the Russian Criminal Code will be presented for discussion in the State Duma. "In order to effectively counter the illegal acquisition of Russian citizenship by foreign nationals, it is proposed to add a new article, Article 322.4, to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. This article addresses illegal activities leading to the unlawful acquisition of temporary residence permits, residence permits, or Russian citizenship," the explanatory note attached to the draft states.

Additionally, it is suggested that penalties include up to five years of imprisonment if the citizen commits the crime independently without the involvement of others. If the crime is committed by a group of individuals in collusion using their official position, the maximum imprisonment term could be increased to seven years, along with a fine of up to 500,000 rubles.

The authors of the initiative argue that the illegal provision of temporary residence permits and residence permits leads to the unlawful acquisition of Russian citizenship by foreign nationals and their family members, creating a financial burden on the state's social system and contributing to the flourishing of corruption.

"Today, the organization of illegal provision of Russian citizenship to migrants involves not only corrupt officials. For instance, representatives of language examination commissions are involved in such schemes. They assist migrants in obtaining certificates of Russian language proficiency," Mironov said to reporters. He believes that to resolve the issue, the party proposes to establish criminal liability for all participants in the "chain" involving false marriage registrations, the illegal issuance of language proficiency certificates, temporary residence permits, residence permits, or Russian citizenship, and he is confident that such measures will help stop the flow of illegal migration in Russia.