The leader of the "A Just Russia – For Truth" faction in the State Duma (Russia’s lower chamber of parliament), Sergey Mironov, announced the preparation of a bill that would introduce a state duty on money transfers made by migrants.
According to Mironov, in 2024, citizens of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan transferred over US$14 billion from Russia to their home countries. He noted that the vast majority of migrants do not pay taxes in Russia despite transferring significant amounts of money abroad.
“It is necessary to introduce a state duty on migrant money transfers… If a 3% fee is implemented, the treasury will receive over 45 billion rubles from transfers to just two countries—Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Do we really not need this money?!” Mironov argued.
The leader of "A Just Russia – For Truth" Party emphasized that such funds would be highly beneficial for Russia. In this regard, Mironov stated his readiness to draft a legislative initiative and submit it to the State Duma.
Mironov expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that, unlike increases in tariffs, excise taxes, and fees for Russian citizens, attempts to impose higher levies on foreign nationals are often postponed.
He recalled that in 2021, the government discussed the possibility of introducing an additional commission on money transfers, but the Russian Ministry of Finance slowed down the process.
Mironov is known for his initiatives aimed at tightening migration policies in Russia.
He has repeatedly advocated for restricting migration, claiming that labor migration creates economic and social problems, including cheap labor, which, in his view, suppresses wage growth and hinders technological development.
His statements have also frequently included claims that the large presence of migrants contributes to increased crime and a worsening security situation in the country.
Previously, Mironov called for the introduction of a visa regime with several Central Asian countries, arguing that the uncontrolled influx of labor migrants has "flooded the entire country."
He is now also proposing a reform of the migration service, suggesting that it should be removed from the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Sergey Mironov (born February 14, 1953) is a Russian politician. He was chairman of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, from 2001 to 2011. He leads the faction A Just Russia in the State Duma.
Mironov was a candidate in the 2004 presidential election. He was not considered to be a serious candidate and was quoted as saying: “We all want Vladimir Putin to be the next president.” He polled less than one per cent of the vote.
He became the leader of the A Just Russia Party in October 2006. This party was formed by uniting Rodina, Mironov's Russian Party of Life, and the Russian Pensioners' Party.
In the March 2012 presidential election, Mironov reportedly received 3.86% of the votes.
