From January 1, Ukrainians in Russia will be deprived of migration benefits, the FMS reminded

Moscow - Kyiv, December 29 (PolitNavigator, Mikhail Stamm) - From January 1, 2015, Russia is canceling the preferential migration regime for citizens of Ukraine. From January 1, 2015, Ukrainian citizens who travel to Russia to work will be required to obtain work patents, like other visa-free migrants.

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Russia will introduce a new work permit system for Ukrainian migrants starting January 1, 2015. This was announced by Konstantin Romodanovsky, head of the Russian Federal Migration Service, in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

“Ukrainian citizens currently enter Russia using internal passports. From January 1, a different system of work permits will be introduced. Citizens of Ukraine, as a general rule, will have to obtain patents to work for individuals and legal entities,” said the head of the FMS.

Romodanovsky explained that in 2014, Russia “was accommodating” and had an “extremely liberal approach” to the citizens of Ukraine. “Probably in 2015 we will return to our tracks and will consider the citizens of Ukraine in general terms. With the exception of those who left the territory of Ukraine involuntarily and for objective reasons cannot return. Of course, we will help this category in every possible way,” added the head of the FMS.

Now all visa-free migrants can stay in Russia without permits for 90 days every six months. “And citizens of Ukraine will not be an exception,” Romodanovsky explained.

When asked whether it was possible to establish a visa regime with Ukraine, the head of the FMS replied: “We are not following the path of toughening, a specific attitude towards citizens of a fraternal state who are now in such a difficult situation due to an internal conflict.”

Romodanovsky confirmed that starting from the new year, citizens of a number of CIS countries will enter Russia using foreign passports. “Residents of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and other countries will enter with foreign passports. There is a delay in such a decision for Kyrgyzstan, which is negotiating accession to the EAEU. And the question regarding Ukraine is still up in the air,” he concluded.