President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a decree allowing foreign citizens and stateless individuals to apply for temporary residency in the country if they share “traditional Russian spiritual and moral values,” even in cases when a person does not speak Russian.
The decree states that those who oppose the “destructive neoliberal ideological agenda” in their home country can seek “humanitarian support” from the Russian authorities by applying for a temporary residence permit.
It also tasks the government and Foreign Ministry with creating a list of countries Moscow considers to be “pursuing a destructive neoliberal agenda” within 30 days.
People applying for temporary residence status in Russia according to the new “humanitarian” scheme would not need to show proof of Russian language proficiency or knowledge of Russian history and the country’s laws.
Russian authorities have increasingly sought to attract conservative Westerners to the country, positioning Russia as a “traditional” counterpoint to what they portray as a morally decadent West.
In May 2023, authorities announced the creation of a “migrant village” outside Moscow for conservative American expats. At the time, a migration lawyer said “around 200 families” wanted to emigrate to the country for “ideological reasons.”
And last week, Russia’s Interior Ministry said an American couple and their children had sought “temporary asylum” in the country due to a “canceling… of traditional and family values, as well as the low level of education” in the United States.
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