The draft amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses (CAO) were discussed at a meeting of the government commission on legislative activity on March 16. As part of this, the Ministry of Internal Affairs proposes to introduce mandatory deportation of foreigners for 20 articles of the CAO.
Among the proposed offenses are violations of the state of emergency (Article 20.5), participation in the activities of undesirable organizations (Article 20.33), as well as participation in unauthorized rallies (Article 5.38) and coercion to strike (Article 5.40).
Currently, deportation of foreign citizens for some of these offenses is only one of the possible penalties. For example, under Part 5 of Article 5.26 of the CAO, the possibility of deportation depends on a court decision, and migrants may receive a fine ranging from 30,000 to 50,000 rubles. Additionally, the new amendments propose creating separate offenses for migrants, such as petty hooliganism in defiance of police (Article 20.1) and the distribution of certain media materials (Article 13.15).
For some articles, deportation will become a mandatory addition to the main fine, as specified by Vladimir Gruzdev, chairman of the Association of Lawyers of Russia. Confiscation measures may also be applied; however, the amendments prohibit imposing several additional penalties for one offense. Furthermore, the draft law proposes increasing fines for 14 articles of the CAO, for example, for violations of entry rules and illegal employment of foreigners.
The explanatory note emphasizes that the changes are necessary due to the "intensification of illegal activities" among foreign citizens. The Ministry of Internal Affairs notes an increase in cases of mass brawls and riots involving migrants, citing statistics that show the police recorded 100 "conflict situations" in 2023-2024, and 1,500 individuals were held accountable. It is also mentioned that migration flows can contribute to an increase in conflict levels and serve as a pretext for xenophobic violence.
According to data from the FSB, in 2025, foreigners, primarily from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and China, made 15.6 million trips to Russia. By the beginning of 2026, the number of foreign citizens in the country decreased to 5.7 million (a 10% decrease compared to the previous year).
In 2025, authorities had already tightened rules for foreigners multiple times, including the introduction of a "registry of controlled persons," which threatens account blocking and deportation. Additionally, in Moscow and the Moscow region, migrants are required to share their geolocation through a mobile application. In February 2026, the State Duma considered draft laws requiring foreigners to undergo tests for HIV and drugs within a month of arrival, with possible fines and deportation for non-compliance.
Vadim Kozhenov, head of the Migrant Assistance Center, believes that the proposed changes align with the overall trend of tightening migration policy. However, in his opinion, labor migrants are not prone to mass violations, and the tightening of penalties will not lead to significant changes in real life, although it may simplify the work of law enforcement agencies.
Photo on the main page: Andrey Stenin / "RIA Novosti." Source: "Kommersant."
