The draft amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses (CAO) were discussed at a meeting of the government commission on legislative activities on March 16. It proposes to establish mandatory deportation for foreign citizens under 20 articles of the CAO.
Among these articles are violations of the state of emergency (Article 20.5), participation in the activities of undesirable foreign organizations (Article 20.33), as well as coercion to participate in unauthorized rallies (Article 5.38) and strikes (Article 5.40).
Currently, deportation of foreigners is only provided as a possible punishment for some of the specified articles. For example, under part 5 of Article 5.26 of the CAO, for violating legislation on freedom of conscience and religion, a migrant can be fined between 30,000 and 50,000 rubles, and the question of deportation depends on the court's decision. Additionally, new types of offenses for foreigners will be introduced in several articles, such as petty hooliganism for disobeying police (Article 20.1) and the distribution of materials that could influence consciousness (Article 13.15).
For some articles, deportation will be a mandatory addition to the main fine, as clarified by Vladimir Gruzdev, chairman of the Board of the Association of Lawyers of Russia. Confiscation of the tools of the offense may also be imposed, but the amendments exclude the possibility of imposing multiple additional penalties for the same act. Furthermore, the draft law proposes increasing fines for 14 articles of the CAO. For example, for violating entry rules into the country, illegal employment, and illegal labor activity, fines are proposed to be increased to 4,000–7,000 rubles instead of the current 2,000–5,000 rubles.
The explanatory note to the draft law states that the changes are due to the "intensification of illegal activity" among foreign citizens.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs reports ongoing cases of mass brawls and riots involving migrants. According to statistics, in 2023–2024, the police recorded about 100 "conflict situations," and 1,500 people were held accountable. The agency notes that migration flows can increase the level of conflict and serve as an additional argument for justifying xenophobic violence.
According to the FSB, in 2025, foreigners (mainly from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and China) made 15.6 million trips to Russia, and in 2024, 16.7 million. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, by the beginning of 2026, the number of foreign citizens in the country decreased to 5.7 million (a 10% reduction compared to the previous year).
In 2025, Russian authorities tightened requirements for foreigners several times, including the creation of a "registry of controlled persons," which could lead to account blocking and expulsion from the country. In Moscow and the Moscow region, migrants were required to share their geolocation via a mobile application under the threat of deportation. In February 2026, the State Duma adopted in the first reading draft laws that require foreigners to take HIV and drug tests within a month of arrival.
Vadim Kozhenov, head of the Migrant Assistance Center, notes that the proposed changes to the legislation align with the overall trend of tightening migration policy. He believes that labor migrants are not prone to mass offenses for which stricter penalties are proposed, while for fights, they are already deported from the country for a period of 30 to 40 years. In his opinion, the amendments will not lead to significant changes in real life but will facilitate the work of law enforcement agencies.
Photo on the main page: Andrey Stenin / "RIA Novosti." Source: "Kommersant."
