Moscow, October 27, 2024 – The Europe Today: Starting next year, Moscow will introduce electronic identity certificates for citizens from countries in Russia’s common-travel area, a step aimed at enhancing the city’s management of migrant documentation, according to Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin.
This initiative is part of Russia’s visa-waiver arrangements with over 30 countries, notably the Central Asian states, which are key sources of migrant labor. The smart ID cards, set to be trialed in 2025, will consolidate critical data on each foreign citizen, including arrival details, biometric information, employment, and registration status, Sobyanin explained in a statement to TASS.
To ensure compliance, Moscow police will be provided with special devices to access information from these electronic IDs, making them a primary tool in verifying migrant documentation. The system will feature a warning alert; if an individual’s ID triggers a red light, it will indicate either a wanted status or a breach of the migration regime, prompting detainment by law enforcement.
As part of a trial phase, Moscow will also begin collecting biometric data from incoming citizens of visa-exempt nations arriving by air. This data, including fingerprints and photos, will be used to strengthen crime prevention efforts.
This move comes amid rising crime statistics involving undocumented migrants in Russia. According to the Investigative Committee, migrant-linked offenses have exceeded 26,000 in 2024, with a tripling of violations among those without legal documentation.
To address this, Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs is preparing a registry of migrants lacking legal grounds to remain in the country. This list, expected to be operational in 2025, will impose restrictions on services, preventing undocumented migrants from accessing banking, driving, or registering property.
