The Russian Security Council noted a decrease in the migration flow to Russia

In the first half of 2026, the migration flow to Russia decreased by 8% compared to the same period in 2025. This was reported to Izvestia on July 30 by the press service of the Russian Security Council.

"In the first half of 2026, 4.8 million foreign citizens and stateless persons entered the Russian Federation, which is 8% less than in the same period of 2025. 3.5 million people in this migration flow are citizens of the CIS member states (72.8%)," the report says.

The council noted the continued downward trend in the number of temporary residence permits issued (13 thousand, -19.5%) and residence permits (43.1 thousand,-39.6%). As a result, at the end of June, the number of foreigners with these documents amounted to 69.9 thousand and 595.5 thousand, respectively. Of the total number of migrant workers who have issued work permits, slightly less than a third (54.7 thousand) are qualified and highly qualified specialists (10.7 thousand and 44 thousand, respectively).

In addition, foreigners who arrived in the Russian Federation on a visa-free basis had more than 1.7 million valid patents (-14.4%) as of July 1, 2026. Regarding citizens of the Eurasian Economic Union, 641.4 thousand notifications were received from employers about the conclusion of an employment or civil law contract with them, which is slightly (5.6%) more than in the same period of 2025.

There is also a significant decrease (by 39.1%) in the number of crimes committed by foreign citizens and stateless persons (while the number of persons involved in them decreased by 25.8% (11.4 thousand)).

"So, in the first half of 2026, 14.4 thousand criminal acts were registered for foreigners, including 5.9 thousand serious and especially serious (-50.8%). Their share in the total number of solved crimes in the Russian Federation decreased by 1.7% and amounted to 3.4%," the report says.

In addition, the authority clarified that 1.2 million protocols on administrative offenses were drawn up against foreign citizens in the first half of 2026 (-24.8%). For these acts, decisions were made against them: on administrative expulsion from the country – 99.4 thousand (an increase of 2.6 times); on reducing the period of temporary stay – 55.6 thousand (an increase of 2.6 times); on non–entry – 197.7 thousand (+68.2%); on deportation - 3.3 thousand (-24%).

Barrier environment: duties for migrants will increase by 200-1000 starting from July 1%

This will help control the flow of labor from abroad, but it may also cause an outflow of foreign personnel, experts believe.

On July 26, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law obliging children of migrant workers to leave the country after they reach the age of 18. Minor children of a foreign citizen retain the right to temporarily stay in Russia only for the duration of their parent's patent.