Russia is deporting immigrants at a record pace
In the first six months of 2024, Russian courts decided to deport 85,800 migrants, which exceeded all indicators in 2022. The amount of fines imposed by the courts on immigrants is also increasing. In the first six months of 2024, foreigners were fined 590 million rubles (more than 6.1 million dollars). This is almost equal to the entire year 2023.
An aggressive campaign against immigrants continues in Russia , Vajnye istorii wrote, referring to court documents.
Thus, in the first half of 2024, Russian courts decided to expel about 86,000 foreigners from Russia - the same as in all of 2022. It is estimated that the total number of deportations in 2024 will exceed both last year's and pre-pandemic values.
In particular, the number of administrative cases related to violations of immigration rules is increasing. In January-June 2024, the courts received 124,000 such cases. Most of them (about 100,000) were committed by a foreign citizen for violating the rules of entering the Russian Federation or living in the country ( Article 18.8 of the Administrative Code). Another 16,000 immigrants are being tried in Russia for illegal work ( Article 18.10 of the Administrative Code).
The amount of fines imposed by the courts on immigrants is also increasing. In the first six months of 2024, foreigners were fined 590 million rubles (more than 6.1 million dollars) . This is almost equal to the entire year 2023.
From January to June 2024, 10,000 foreigners and stateless persons were prosecuted in Russia, 92% of them are citizens of the CIS countries. Foreign nationals account for 4 percent of all felony convictions, a share that has barely changed in recent years. Throughout 2020, Russian courts sentenced 16,200 migrants in criminal cases (3.06 percent of all convicted), 19,200 migrants in 2021 (3.4 percent), and about 22,000 migrants in 2022 and 2023 ( 3.77% and 4% respectively).
It is noted that from year to year the number of criminal offenses prosecuted for visitors to Russia remains approximately the same. Every fourth (24.6%) is convicted of forgery of documents (Article 327 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ), another 20% of theft (Article 158), 18% of drug -related crimes (Articles 228.1 and 228). Also, 12 percent of the detained migrants received punishment for violence (harm to health, robbery, rape, murder, etc.). Over the past five years, this indicator has not changed much. Another 0.7% (76 people) were convicted of terrorist crimes.
As the number of migrants in the country decreases, the pressure on visitors from the courts is increasing. According to estimates , about 3.5 million immigrants will work in Russia in 2023, which is one million less than before the pandemic. Rosstat reported that only 560,000 immigrants arrived in Russia in 2023, the lowest figure since 2013.
At the same time, the population of Russia has been decreasing since 2018 . This is influenced by the decline in the birth rate, high mortality among young men, and the emigration of citizens. According to demographers of the Higher School of Economics of the National Research University, Russia needs to attract 390,000 to 1.1 million immigrants annually to maintain the population at the level of 146 million people, while, for example, to pay pensions, ensure economic growth and people's incomes.
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