At a government commission meeting held on March 16, a draft amendment to the Code of Administrative Offenses developed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs was reviewed. According to "Kommersant," the main proposal is to introduce mandatory deportation for foreign citizens who commit 20 specific administrative offenses.
Under the new rules, courts will not be able to limit themselves to fines only and will be required to impose expulsion for the following violations:
violating the conditions of a state of emergency;participating in activities of organizations recognized as undesirable in Russia;participating in unauthorized protests or coercing strikes;petty hooliganism and disobedience to law enforcement officers;abusing freedom of speech, including disseminating instructions for producing weapons or illegal advertising of alcoholic products.
In the explanatory note, the Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasizes the need to tighten measures due to the "increased criminal activity" and frequent mass brawls involving migrants. However, experts such as Vadim Kozhenov, head of the Migrant Assistance Center, point out that law-abiding labor migrants rarely become offenders. He also noted that foreigners involved in mass riots are already subject to long-term deportation, lasting up to 30–40 years.
This initiative is part of a broader reform of migration policy initiated after the events at "Krokus City Hall" in the spring of 2024. Since then, Russia has tightened the rules for obtaining residence permits, introduced mandatory language tests for foreign children entering schools, and expanded the list of grounds for monitoring the stay of foreign citizens in the country.
