Starting from January 2015, Russia has toughened the rules for employing migrants from visa-free countries. Special patents have been introduced. To obtain such a patent, a foreign individual, who wants to work in Russia, will have to confirm their knowledge of the Russian language, history and basic laws of the country. In addition, from 2015, CIS citizens, except for the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union, will need a passport to enter the territory of the Russian Federation.
Tougher conditions and the fall of the ruble are two factors that triggered the outflow of migrants from Russia. According to official data, their number decreased by 70% in January 2015 as compared to the same period of last year.
Olga Chudinovskikh, director of the Center for Migration Policy:
"I want to urge all - not to make such far-reaching statements, but wait and see how the economic conjuncture in Russia will develop, and how migrants will adapt to these very tough and excessively stringent rules. If migrants do not find work, those who worked without papers, they will try to leave, of course. But that would mean re-entry ban for them. So some of them will have to wait and think what they can do. Naturally, they will need something that they can live on."
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