Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree last month requiring many foreign men seeking permanent residency in Russia or citizenship to sign a contract with the military, at the height of its war against Ukraine, a Radio Free Europe (RFE) investigation has found.
State and private media in Russia have barely mentioned the request, which is highly unusual in international practice, since Putin signed Decree No. 821 on November 5.
Yet the new measure is already forcing migrants who have built their lives in Russia to choose between conscription and leaving the country, RFE/RL's Russia research unit Systema and its Russian-language unit covering Central Asia Azattyq Asia have found.
A permanent residence permit provides migrants with legal security: they can leave and re-enter Russia without additional visas and work without a special work permit. For many migrants from other former Soviet republics, it is the only path to citizenship.
According to Putin's decree, in order to apply for permanent residence, certain categories of men must submit a military contract for at least one year of service, a contract for service in the Ministry of Emergency Situations, or a certificate from a military recruitment center that they are unfit for service.
Similar rules apply to men seeking Russian citizenship: they must provide a certificate of unfitness for service or proof that they served in the army or the Ministry of Emergency Situations and were discharged before February 24, 2022, when Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.
These requirements apply to men seeking permanent residency or citizenship based on long-term residence or family circumstances. Applicants from other categories, such as highly qualified professionals and those seeking documents based on studies in Russia, are exempt.
The decree does not apply to men from Belarus, a military ally of Russia. For citizens of Kazakhstan and Moldova, the requirement applies only to applications for citizenship, not permanent residence. Special rules exist for citizens of Ukraine. The decree states that the measures are temporary, but does not provide a time frame.
Analyst Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Berlin-based Carnegie Center for Russia and Eurasia, says there are two motives behind Putin's decree.
"With these rules, the Russian government is solving two problems. It is increasing mobilization at the expense of people who have limited ability to defend their rights and making long-term migration to Russia less attractive. Migrants will have to come to Russia in the future solely as a labor force and resource," Umarov told Sistema.
Western intelligence agencies and others claim that more than a million Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the start of the invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has been recruiting men from around the world and has sought to mobilize male migrants since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine. Some foreigners have voluntarily signed contracts in exchange for large cash payments or simplified procedures for obtaining citizenship. Moscow has gradually expanded such incentives as the war has dragged on.
For example, foreign soldiers fighting in Ukraine do not have to pass a Russian language exam to obtain citizenship. Russian lawmakers recently considered a draft law that would clarify that foreigners who fought on the Russian side would not be extradited to other countries seeking them for criminal prosecution or execution.
In May 2025, the head of Russia's Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, said that at least 20.000 naturalized men from Central Asia were fighting on the front in Ukraine, and that another 10.000 had been sent "to dig trenches."
Newly naturalized citizens were summoned to immigration offices and threatened with losing their citizenship if they refused to fight. Also, recently naturalized migrants were detained in large raids and pressured to sign military contracts.
Putin's decree means that the pressure now extends to those who are not Russian citizens. This is a departure from the usual global practice - in most countries with compulsory military service, it applies to citizens, and less often to permanent residents.
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