In December 2020, the Russian government issued a presidential decree extending several COVID-19-related measures affecting foreigners in the country. Measures, which were extended until 15 June 2021, include the suspension of forced expulsions and deportations, as well as the suspension of cancellations of refugee status, visas, work permits, residence permits, and other documents. Certain people […]
19 November 2020 – Russian Federation
Foreign migrant workers have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic in Russia, with large numbers losing employment amidst the economic downturn. In a survey conducted by the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration in April-May 2020, 75 percent of surveyed migrants reported having lost their jobs or being forced into unpaid leave, […]
24 July 2020 – Russian Federation
Since issuing a moratorium on new detention orders on 18 April (Decree of the President of Russia No.2745) (see 18 April update), Russia has reportedly not issued any new detention orders. This was confirmed by the Civic Assistance Committee and Memorial in a GDP survey on 21 July. The organisations also noted that some foreign […]
18 April 2020 – Russian Federation
On 18 April, President Putin signed a decree “On Temporary Measures to Resolve the Legal Situation of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Russian Federation in Connection with the Threat of Further Spread of the new Coronavirus Infection Covid-19.” This new decree provides that the period from 15 March until 15 June 2020 will […]
02 April 2020 – Russian Federation
Russia has taken some steps to limit immigration detainee populations. At the same time, it has taken draconian measures that have severely increased the vulnerability of thousands of migrant workers and other foreigners residing in the country. According to ADC Memorial, the government has prohibited the placement of new people in detention centres, and instead […]
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DETENTION STATISTICS
DETAINEE DATA
PRISON DATA
POPULATION DATA
MIGRATION-RELATED DETENTION
GOVERNANCE SYSTEM
LEGAL & REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
Detention-Related Legislation
Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of 12/30/2013 N 1306 (as amended on 06/17/2016) on the approval of the Rules for keeping (stay) in special institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation or its territorial body of foreign citizens and stateless persons subject to administrative expulsion from the Russian Federation in the form of forced expulsion from the Russian Federation, deportation or readmission (Постановление Правительства РФ от 30.12.2013 N 1306 (ред. от 17.06.2016) Об утверждении Правил содержания (пребывания) в специальных учреждениях Министерства внутренних дел Российской Федерации или его территориального органа иностранных граждан и лиц без гражданства, подлежащих административному выдворению за пределы Российской Федерации в форме принудительного выдворения за пределы Российской Федерации, депортации или реадмиссии)
(2012)
2016
Law on Refugees (as amended by Federal Law of June 28, 1997 N 95-FZ) (as amended on July 31, 2020), (О беженцах (в редакции Федерального закона от 28 июня 1997 года N 95-ФЗ) (с изменениями на 31 июля 2020 года)
(1997)
2020
Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offences of 30 December 2001 N°195-FZ (as amended on July 31, 2020) (as amended and supplemented, entered into force on August 11, 2020), ("Кодекс Российской Федерации об административных правонарушениях" от 30.12.2001 N 195-ФЗ (ред. от 31.07.2020) (с изм. и доп., вступ. в силу с 11.08.2020))
(2001)
2020
Law on the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation (О Правовом Положении Иностранных Граждан В Российской Федерации)
(2002)
Additional Legislation
GROUNDS FOR MIGRATION-RELATED DETENTION
Children & Other Vulnerable Groups
LENGTH OF MIGRATION-RELATED DETENTION
MIGRATION-RELATED DETENTION INSTITUTIONS
Custodial Authorities
The General Administration for Migration Issues
(The Ministry of Internal Affairs)
Internal or Public Security
Detention Facility Management
PROCEDURAL STANDARDS & SAFEGUARDS
DETENTION MONITORS
Types of Authorised Detention Monitoring Institutions
High Commissioner on Human Rights in the Russian Federation (Уполномоченный по правам человека в РФ)
(National Human Rights Institution (or Ombudsperson) (NHRI))
> National human rights monitoring bodies
> National Preventive Mechanisms (Optional Protocol to UN Convetion against Torture)
> Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
> Governmental monitoring bodies
> International detention monitoring
TRANSPARENCY
READMISSION/RETURN/EXTRADITION AGREEMENTS
Bilateral/Multilateral Readmission Agreements
COVID-19
HEALTH CARE
COVID-19 DATA
Have Populations of Concern Been Included/Excluded From the National Vaccination Campaign?
INTERNATIONAL TREATIES
International Treaties Ratified
Ratification Year
Observation Date
CTOCTP, Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children
2004
2004
CTOCSP, Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime
2004
2004
CAT, Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
1987
1987
Ratio of relevant international treaties ratified
Ratio: 12/19
Individual Complaints Procedures
Acceptance Year
ICCPR, First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966
1991
1991
CEDAW, Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, 1999
2004
2004
Relevant Recommendations Issued by Treaty Bodies
Recommendation Year
Observation Date
Committee against Torture
42.The Committee is concerned at reports of extraditions and expulsions of foreign persons carried out by the State party to countries where they may be at risk of torture and other ill-treatment. The Committee is especially concerned about information that persons who may be in need of international protection, particularly those held in pre-removal detention centres, including torture victims, do not have adequate access to asylum procedures and that immigration authorities often fail to register and interview asylum seekers, thereby increasing their risk of refoulement. It regrets the absence of statistical information on extradition requests granted, appeals against such decisions and outcomes thereof (art. 3).
2018
2018
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
43.The Committee is concerned about the situation of undocumented migrant women, especially pregnant women and women with small children, in detention centres.
2015
2015
Committee on Migrant Workers
37.The Committee is concerned about reports that Tajik migrant workers and members of their families suffer from discriminatory attitudes and are often targets of hate crimes and xenophobic assaults in the main countries of employment, in particular in the Russian Federation. The Committee is particularly concerned about reports confirming that Tajik migrant workers are frequently subjected to violence, abuse, threats and intimidation by employers, public officials and private individuals in countries of employment. Those who are in an irregular situation are often held in detention centres in prison like conditions for several months or, in the absence of identity documents, for up to one year.
2012
2012
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
13. Taking into consideration the dialogue held with the Russian delegation, the Committee notes with concern reports about searches ofGeorgian businesses, police demands for lists of names ofGeorgian students, identity checks, destruction of identity papers, detention in inhumane conditions, deportations under a simplified procedure and other repressive measures against Georgian nationalsand ethnic Georgians in 2006 (arts. 2, para. 1 (a), 5 (b)and 5 (d) (i)). The Committee recommends that the State party undertake a thorough investigation, through an independent body, into all allegations of unlawful police conduct against Georgian nationals and ethnic Georgians in 2006 and adopt measures to prevent the recurrence of such acts in the future.
2008
2008
Committee on the Rights of the Child
§ 62. "The Committee recommends that the State party amend the Federal Refugees Act to comply with the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and ensure that it does not impose additional criteria for be ing accepted as a refugee in the country. It also urges the State party to establish safeguards against the refoulement of children where there are substantial grounds for believing that their life or freedoms would be in danger and establish child - and gender - sensitive procedures for unaccompanied and separated children."
2014
2014
NON-TREATY-BASED INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS MECHANISMS
REGIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS MECHANISMS
Regional Legal Instruments
Year of Ratification (Treaty) / Transposed (Directive) / Adoption (Regulation)
Observation Date
CPCSE, Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse
2013
2013
2017
ECPT, European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment of Punishment
1998
1998
2017
ECHRP1, Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights (amended by protocol 11)
1998
1998
2017
ECHRP7, Protocol 7 to the European Convention on Human Rights (amended by protocol 11)
1998
1998
2017
DETENTION COSTS
OUTSOURCING
FOREIGN SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR DETENTION OPERATIONS
GOVERNMENT BODIES
Ministry of Internal Affairs https://en.mvd.ru/
Ministry of Foreign Affairs https://www.mid.ru/en/main_en
High Commissioner for Human Rights of the Russian Federation http://eng.ombudsmanrf.org/
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
Russian Red Cross https://www.ifrc.org/en/what-we-do/where-we-work/europe/russian-red-cross-society/
Russian Red Cross, St. Petersburg Branch http://www.spbredcross.org/
UNHCR Russia https://www.unhcr.org/ru/
NGOs
Anti-Discrimination Centre (ADC) Memorial https://adcmemorial.org/en/
Center for the Promotion of Interethnic Education "Etnosfera" https://www.etnosfera.ru/
Children’s Fund of North Ossetia https://www.detfond.org/
Civic Assistance Committee https://refugee.ru/
Civil Rights Committee http://www.zagr.org/731.html
"Faith, Hope, Love" http://www.vnl-migrant.ru/
"Health and Life" Foundation http://health-foundation.ru/
Institute for Human Rights http://hrights.ru/
Integration Center for Refugee and Migrant Children "Same Children" http://kidsarekids-center.com/home
Memorial Human Rights Center https://memohrc.org/ru
MEDIA
Meduza https://meduza.io/en
Sputnik News https://sputniknews.com/
TASS https://tass.com/
The Moscow Times https://www.themoscowtimes.com/
