Approximately 20,000 foreign nationals will be deported from Russia following the conclusion of a comprehensive operational and preventive campaign, dubbed "Illegal-2024," Ms. Irina Volk, a spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, reported on her Telegram channel.
“In his address at a meeting of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev noted that over 106,000 violations of migration laws were identified as part of the 'Illegal-2024' operation, resulting in 20,000 administrative deportation and expulsion orders,” Volk wrote.
During the operation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Federal Security Service (FSB) reportedly initiated over 4,000 criminal cases related to illegal migration, with an additional 684 cases filed for offenses such as illegal border crossings, and the trafficking of weapons, drugs, and psychotropic substances.
The annual operation, dubbed “Illegal Alien” is conducted by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the FSB, and Rosfinmonitoring (the Federal Financial Monitoring Service) in coordination with competent authorities in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states.
Its goal is to counter illegal migration, particularly by dismantling organized criminal groups and networks involved in this sphere, including those with international and interregional ties.
Notably, in October, Russia increased penalties for organizing illegal migration, classifying it as a particularly serious crime, with punishments of 8 to 15 years of imprisonment and fines of 3 million to 5 million rubles.
Penalties for fictitious residence registration and fake foreign national registration were also heightened, now punishable by up to five years in prison. Additionally, crimes committed by illegal migrants are considered aggravating circumstances.
