The number of foreigners in Russia has decreased significantly over the past year. As of April 1, 6.1 million foreign citizens are residing in the country. This figure is nearly 700,000 lower than the 6.8 million recorded last year.
According to the Russian Security Council, nearly 2.5 million foreigners entered the country in the first quarter of 2026. This is approximately 15 percent less compared to last year.
Citizens of CIS countries make up the majority of the migration flow. Their share exceeds 72 percent, accounting for nearly 1.8 million people.
At the same time, officials reported a sharp increase in the cancellation of residence permits. About 8,300 decisions were made during the reporting period, which is nearly double compared to last year.
Currently, the number of foreigners with permanent residence permits in Russia stands at 581,000.
Furthermore, since December 2024, it has been recorded that over 56,000 individuals attempted to enter the country with forged documents. During the same period, nearly 10.5 million foreigners submitted their biometric data.
Experts believe that the tightening of migration policy, increased control, and the introduction of new requirements are the main factors behind the decline in the number of foreigners.
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