Russian Duma To Consider Higher Migrant Fees

The State Duma has passed the first reading of a bill to regulate the legal circulation of cryptocurrencies in Russia. This legislative step could pave the way for the Moscow Exchange to begin trading digital assets as early as 2027. A new bill approved by the Ministry of Internal Affairs' legislative commission will transfer control over migrants to law enforcement. Under the proposed law, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will gain the authority to approve a list of professions for foreign specialists that allow them to obtain residence permits without temporary residence permits. Experts suggest this document completes the process of moving migrant oversight under the wing of law enforcement agencies. Under the proposed change, companies would need to submit notifications for hiring foreign employees similar to resignation notifications. One commentator argued that the approval of profession lists and quotas should remain with the Ministry of Labor to avoid concentrating labor market issues within the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The commentator noted that shifting these functions to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which focuses on security and migration accounting, could create difficulties for companies that rely on continuous hiring of foreign specialists. State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin announced via his Telegram channel that the Duma will prioritize reviewing draft laws to significantly increase state fees for migrants. The proposed legislation specifically targets fees associated with applying for Russian citizenship. The announcement was made by Volodin in a priority legislative context.