Deputies are tightening the fight against fake marriages between Russians and foreigners

On Wednesday, the State Duma adopted in the first reading a bill to combat fictitious marriages of Russians with migrants who are trying to gain legal status in this way. The document was supported by representatives of all factions, at the same time proposing several tightening additions. The only principled opponent of the initiative was United Russia member Konstantin Zatulin, but his colleagues did not listen to his arguments about the tiny percentage of such fictitious unions and about the harmfulness of the amendments for real mixed marriages.

Amendments to the laws “On the procedure for leaving the Russian Federation and entering the Russian Federation” and “On the legal status of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation” were developed by a group of senators and deputies led by Andrei Klishas, ​​chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building. The innovations they proposed are designed to eradicate the practice of foreigners using fictitious marriages (as well as fictitious paternity) for legalization in Russia.

The bill proposes issuing temporary residence permits (TRP) only after two years have passed from the date of marriage of the applicant with a citizen of the Russian Federation.

The amendments also give authorities the power to revoke migration status if an applicant’s marriage, adoption or paternity certificate has been declared invalid by a court. And it is proposed to issue a residence permit to parents (as well as guardians or adoptive parents) of children who are citizens of the Russian Federation only if the child was born in a valid marriage with a Russian.

Presenting the bill at the plenary session on April 10, one of its authors, first deputy chairman of the Duma Committee on CIS Affairs Viktor Vodolatsky (United Russia), noted that the problem of illegal migration and fictitious registration of visitors was exposed by the recent tragic events in Crocus City Hall. “The bill was introduced earlier, but what happened once again emphasizes and confirms its significance,” the United Russia member explained and added that recently the Ministry of Internal Affairs detained several people for organizing fictitious marriages between visitors and Russians.

Now obtaining a temporary residence permit is more economically profitable than purchasing a patent, Mr. Vodolatsky continued: “In Moscow, obtaining a patent for three years costs about 70 thousand rubles, it is easier to give 30 thousand to a woman with reduced social responsibility and arrange a fictitious marriage.”

The proposed measures aimed at combating such practices “will certainly become another obstacle to the illegal stay of migrants in our country,” Viktor Vodolatsky promised. “Tightening the procedure for obtaining temporary residence permits does not deprive foreigners married to Russian citizens of the opportunity to work (in Russia.— “Kommersant”): the general procedure for obtaining a patent and a work visa applies,” he made a reservation.

The Duma factions unanimously supported the initiative, not forgetting, however, to put forward their own ideas for its development. For example, United Russia member Andrei Alshevskikh suggested thinking about additional liability (including criminal liability) for migrants who resorted to marriage tricks, as well as tougher punishment for Russians who decided to help them in this matter. Vladimir Sipyagin (LDPR) advocated the development of a unified digital register of non-citizens caught in such fictions, with the aim of “further control and the impossibility of repeating the attempt in the future.” And Andrei Kuznetsov (“A Just Russia – For Truth”) called for thinking about a norm that would allow regular checks to determine whether mixed marriages are fictitious.

The only opponent of the initiative in the entire Duma, and a categorical one at that, was another first deputy chairman of the Committee on CIS Affairs, United Russia member Konstantin Zatulin.

“Dear deputies, I don’t recognize you! Liberate your mind, what are these palliative measures? “he exclaimed sarcastically. “Let’s just ban marriages with foreigners or assign an inspector in every case to check every night whether the marriage is a sham or not!” Switching to a serious tone, the deputy said that for every thousand mixed marriages in 2023, according to official data, there were only four fictitious ones: “You will now punish 996 families because four were fictitious!”

In the recently adjusted law on citizenship, Mr. Zatulin recalled, marriage has ceased to be a basis for simplified acquisition of citizenship, leaving an advantage only when obtaining migration status (TRP). Now legislators are proposing to cut this mechanism too, United Russia lamented. “They say that, despite the fact that we ban it, they (migrants.— “Kommersant”) will still live with us on the basis of a patent or visa. Then what is the meaning of the law? — Konstantin Zatulin was perplexed. In addition, he emphasized that the same rules will apply not only to immigrants from Central Asia, but also to Russians and Ukrainians, and asked why “bringing in” Crocus to the case if none of the terrorists ended up in Russia thanks to a fictitious marriage , and finally, he advised his colleagues to ask whether it is easy to find a normal job in the Russian Federation without at least having a temporary residence permit. “Just nonsense!” – the first deputy chairman of the committee said in anger, leaving the podium.

An experienced colleague was immediately substantively objected to by an equally experienced people’s representative, the chairman of the Committee for the Protection of the Family, Nina Ostanina (Communist Party of the Russian Federation).

“Satire is good, but if the problem had not taken on the shape it has today…” she sighed, expressing confidence that the bill would not have an impact on mixed marriages, but would close a loophole specifically related to fictitious marriage unions.

Therefore, the bill deserves “support from all sides,” although in the future parliamentarians will have to work on the Family Code in order to give the prosecutor’s office the right to file lawsuits challenging probable fictitious paternity, Ms. Ostanina concluded.

“To establish whether a temporary residence permit can be issued or not, three months are given: during this time you cannot find out whether it is a fictitious marriage or not. Do you need two years? In order to increase corruption, take bribes all these two years?” — Konstantin Zatulin did not give up. “The investigation is carried out by the police, and the police can check the fictitiousness for up to six months, plus the transfer of the case,” the deputy chairman of the relevant committee, United Russia member Artem Turov objected to a fellow party member. “Therefore (two years.— “Kommersant”) – just”.

Viktor Vodolatsky promised to take into account all the proposals made by his colleagues when preparing the bill for the second reading, as well as when developing other thematic initiatives. And Artem Turov, on behalf of the entire United Russia faction, declared support for the initiative and called on parliamentarians to work together on the amendments as part of the second reading. As a result, the document was supported by 386 deputies, with two abstentions and the only vote against – of course, Konstantin Zatulin.

Grigory Leiba