Putin Initiates Reform of Russian Citizenship, Migration Rules

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered to launch the process of reforming Russia's migration and citizenship regulations, the Kremlin said on Saturday, adding that the administration expects a relevant report to be submitted by 1 March 2021.

"Within the framework of the activity of the working group on implementing the State Migration Policy Concept of the Russian Federation through to 2025, the Russian president's administration is set to organise the work on reforming migration regimes and the Russian Institute of Citizenship on the basis of proposals prepared by the given working group", the Kremlin said.

Putin has approved a range of instructions regarding the implementation of the migration policy concept for 2019-2025 and appointed Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino as responsible for the initiative.

In February, Russia’s lower house adopted the first reading of a bill that proposes excluding the physical inability to work as a requirement for obtaining Russian citizenship in a simplified way. According to the current legislation, a foreigner can only apply for citizenship through this method if he or she is unfit for work but has an able-bodied child who is over 18 years old and holds Russian citizenship.