Russia reports fourfold rise in number of repatriates

The number of compatriots relocating to Russia under the country’s repatriation programme increased fourfold in 2025 compared with the previous year, Gennady Ovechko, an official from the Russian Foreign Ministry, has stated.

Speaking to Russian media, Ovechko said more people were returning from countries with strained relations with Russia, including Germany, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Canada and the United States, Caliber.Az reports.

He added that Russia continues to refine its migration legislation and described the introduction of the repatriation institution on January 1, 2024, as one of the most important measures in the field.

Participants in the programme are eligible for various benefits and social support measures, he said.

At the same time, Ovechko noted that the government is tightening the selection process for candidates through mandatory Russian-language testing, while also offering simplified residence permit procedures for citizens of certain countries, including Kazakhstan.

According to the official, more than 1.25 million people have moved to Russia since the state resettlement programme was launched in 2007, with resettlement now covering nearly all regions of the country.

The Foreign Ministry is also involving overseas institutions and public organisations to inform potential participants about the programme.

“We are happy to welcome our like-minded people. We are trying to create conditions to ensure that the return to their native shores is comfortable,” Ovechko said.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov