Akif, a 48-year-old man from Azerbaijan, went to a Russian migration office. He had spent four years building a home with his wife Maria. He brought all his paperwork. He hoped to get closer to permanent residency. Instead, officials gave him a harsh choice. He had to sign a one-year military contract for the war in Ukraine. Or he would lose his residency application. This story shows how new rules are changing lives for foreign men in Russia.
On November 5, 2025, President Vladimir Putin signed Decree No. 821. This law changes the rules for foreign men who want permanent residency or citizenship in Russia. They must now sign a military service contract for at least one year. Or they can sign a contract with Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry. Or they need medical proof that they cannot serve in the military. Russian media has said almost nothing about it. Reports from RFE/RL’s Systema and Azattyq Asia point out this strange silence. The decree affects many people, but few know about it.
Why the Media Stays Quiet
Russia’s state media usually announces presidential orders loudly. The lack of news here is unusual. It suggests the Kremlin knows the rule is sensitive. Many migrants do not hear about it until they visit a migration office. Then they face a big surprise. They must make quick choices about their lives and futures in Russia. Some have spent years working and building families there.
The decree applies to foreign men seeking long-term residency or citizenship through family ties. It does not affect people from Belarus at all. Men from Kazakhstan and Moldova only face it when applying for citizenship, not residency. Highly skilled workers and those in Russian education programs are exempt. Everyone else must deal with the military requirement to stay legally.
Akif said no to the contract. Now he plans to leave his sheep, goats, rabbits, and homestead behind. In Russia’s Khanty-Mansiysk oil area, 24-year-old Burxon from Tajikistan faced the same demand. He was renewing his residency. His father told him not to sign. Burxon must choose between his job and the risk of being sent to fight. New citizens also get summonses. Officials threaten to take away their status. Some face raids and pressure to join the army. These stories show the human side of the policy.
Russia’s War Losses Push the Change
Russia needs more soldiers because of heavy losses in Ukraine. Western estimates say over 950,000 Russian casualties since February 2022. About 250,000 of them died. Earlier, Aleksandr Bastrykin from the Investigative Committee said 20,000 naturalized Central Asians are fighting at the front. Another 10,000 are digging trenches.
Around 4 million people from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan live in Russia. In 2024, Uzbeks made up 23 percent of new arrivals, Tajiks 17 percent, and Kyrgyz 10 percent. Each year, 100,000 to 300,000 seek residency or citizenship. Now they hit this new wall.
Money Issues for Migrants and Russia
Central Asian countries depend on money sent home from Russia. In 2024, remittances were 48 percent of Tajikistan’s economy, 24 percent of Kyrgyzstan’s, and 14 percent of Uzbekistan’s. Russia provides 77 percent of Uzbekistan’s remittances, up 29 percent from 2023.
Russia itself needs 4.8 million more workers to grow its economy. But migrant numbers fell 18 percent in 2024 due to fears of being drafted. The decree is called temporary, but it has no end date. It could cause more migrants to leave and create worker shortages.
World Reactions and Big Changes Ahead
Nepal banned its citizens from working in Russia after reports of them being enlisted. Researcher Temur Umarov from Carnegie says the policy has two goals. It helps Russia get more soldiers from groups that cannot easily fight back. It also stops migrants from settling permanently. Russia now wants short-term workers, not families. This is the first time a country has linked residency directly to military contracts for foreigners. It breaks from normal rules that apply such demands only to citizens.
Migrants are stuck, weighing leaving against the danger of the draft. Russia’s economy relies on their labor, but war needs are turning immigration into a way to fill army ranks. The future is unclear, with big effects on people and money.
Sources:
Putin Decree Forces Foreigners Seeking Russian Residency To Sign Army Contracts – RFE/RL
Russia Nears 1 Million War Casualties In Ukraine, Study Finds – CNN
Russia: Weaponising Immigration Policies To Push Migrants Into War – Global Detention Project
A Potential Turning Point For Central Asian Migration – Caspian Policy Center
Russia’s Shadow Army: Central Asian Migrants Are Dying In Ukraine – Atlantic Council