The Liberal-Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) has proposed a new bill to the State Duma, which suggests that migrants with invalid Russian language certificates be deported at their own expense. If a migrant cannot afford the cost of deportation, their home country’s diplomatic mission or consular office would cover the expense.
LDPR leader Slutsky emphasized the need for skilled specialists who are committed to learning the Russian language and understanding the country’s history. He stated, “Only sought-after specialists who have taken the trouble to learn our language and the history of the country should come to us. Those who entered Russia through deceit came to engage in criminal activities, and bought their documents should be deported immediately without any cost to our budget.”
Vladimir Sipyagin, another LDPR member of the State Duma, echoed these sentiments. He argued that only individuals ready to integrate into the cultural environment should be allowed entry, highlighting the importance of language in this process. “We need specialists who are in demand in the labour market but understand our values and traditions, are ready to learn Russian, and know the history of our country,” Sipyagin said. He also noted the problem of migrant children attending school without knowledge of the Russian language, attributing this to their parents’ deceitful entry and semi-legal activities.
However, Jamaladin Gasanov from the United Russia Party criticized the LDPR proposal as “quite radical.” Gasanov noted that existing laws already provide for the deportation of migrants who violate their stay conditions. According to current regulations, foreign citizens must leave Russia at their own expense within 15 days of being notified of the annulment of their residence permits.
Gasanov also pointed out that while a language certificate is necessary for legal employment in Russia, recent cases of fraudulent exams have led to the issuance of invalid certificates. He argued for stronger regulation of certificate-issuing institutions rather than immediate deportation of migrants, who may be in a vulnerable position due to issues with these organizations. “It is necessary to strengthen control over the institutions that issue these certificates,” Gasanov added.
