The number of expulsions of foreigners from Russia doubled in 2024

“In December 2024, according to court decisions, more than 80,000 foreign citizens and stateless persons were forcibly expelled from Russia,” a service source told the agency. At the same time, in 2023, the FSSP expelled 44.2 thousand people from Russia.

In 2024 alone, about 18 thousand immigrants were expelled from Moscow, almost 33% more than the figures for 2023 (12 thousand people), the FSSP reported to TASS. Most of the expelled migrants are natives of CIS countries, including Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Among the expelled foreigners were three citizens of European countries: Latvia, Estonia and France.

All expelled immigrants violated the rules of entry or stay/residence on the territory of Russia (Article 18.8 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of Russia), which, among other things, provides for punishment in the form of a ban on visiting for five years . Russian territory.

Deportation differs from expulsion in that it does not require a judicial process: deportation is carried out by the Ministry of Internal Affairs if a foreign citizen has no legal grounds to remain in Russia (for example, when a tourist or work visa expires ).

Between January and October 2024, 149.2 thousand foreign citizens were expelled, deported or readmitted (returned to their country of origin) from Russia, almost twice as many as in 2023 (78 thousand people), Kommersant previously reported with reference to data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Internal Affairs