Migration for Benefits: Why Arrivals in Russia Are Reluctant to Integrate 0 11

Digital profiles of migrants, registries, and expulsion regimes have become a reality in Russia. While the authorities are tightening requirements for newcomers, courts continue to issue lenient sentences, and reforms create new problems.

Cases where defendants in criminal cases receive suspended sentences or manage to leave the country as witnesses undermine the effect of reforms. Modest fines do not deter offenders and demotivate the police, who fear using their service weapons even against armed inadequates.

A symbol of the year has become the verdict in the case of the attack on State Duma deputy Mikhail Matveev. In July 2024, he was struck on the head, and his driver had his collarbone broken while they were trying to stop a conflict between migrants and passersby. On December 29, 2025, all defendants were released in the courtroom.

According to the parliamentarian, one was acquitted, the second was sentenced to community service (with 10% withheld for state revenue), and the third had his time in pre-trial detention counted. The court ordered the defendants to pay 50,000 and 85,000 rubles in favor of the victims.

"Diasporas applaud... If such a decision is made regarding an attack on a State Duma deputy, what would happen if someone from among you were in my place?" Mikhail Matveev inquired.

This same judge is considering the case of an attack by individuals from Azerbaijan on municipal deputy Turusin.

"No matter how she finds him guilty," the deputy concluded.

Another recent example is the ten-day arrest of a migrant who harassed a schoolgirl in Moscow. This occurred directly near the educational institution in Moscow.

"I have a question for specific law enforcers: 'How are you doing? Are you okay? And how is your professional competence? Do you understand what you are doing? Aren't you afraid for your children?'" emphasized Human Rights Council member Kirill Kabanov.

While some newcomers comply with the laws and try to integrate into society, others impose their own rules and commit crimes. In some places, the situation has already reached a critical point.

Public concern is raised by the influence of diasporas and ethnic enclaves living by their own laws. An example was the incident in the Moscow district of Shchelkovo: a migrant rummaging through a trash container had a conflict with a deaf-mute passerby — the migrant struck the disabled person several times, after which the victim died.

At the trial, the interests of the migrant were defended by an elite capital lawyer — the Uzbek janitor had some relatives who managed to pay for the services of the president of a prestigious law firm.

"The intensity of the spread of radical ideas among labor migrants from Central Asia by international terrorist organizations is not decreasing, and the flow of migrants into the country remains significant," stated the December announcement from the Investigative Committee of Russia. According to the results of the first four months, juvenile crime among children of migrants increased by 13%.

Migrants are increasingly coming to Russia for benefits. A striking case is the statistics from Surgut, where the number of beneficiaries increased by 40,000 over the year (+50%). The city's population is 430,000. The authorities of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug introduced a requirement: now, for child benefits, at least one parent must be a citizen of the Russian Federation, but this is unlikely to stop social tourism.