Putin facilitates migration regulations for post-Soviet state

(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin has relaxed entry and employment regulations for Moldovan nationals traveling to Russia for work, despite ongoing tensions with Moldova’s pro-EU and pro-Ukraine government.

Moldova, a former Soviet republic bordering Romania and Ukraine, has around 15% of its population fluent in Russian. According to a decree signed on Friday, Moldovan citizens arriving in Russia from October 1 will receive extended time to complete registration formalities and will be allowed to work without needing a permit.

Those entering between October 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026, won’t have to specify their travel purpose and will be permitted to work without a special permit for about a year. They will also be protected from deportation unless charged with criminal offenses, including illegal border crossing.

Vadim Fotescu, an opposition Moldovan lawmaker, recently estimated that roughly 500,000 Moldovan citizens currently live in Russia.

Relations between Moscow and Moldova remain strained. Moldovan President Maia Sandu has accused Russia of meddling in the country’s internal affairs and attempting to destabilize her government, charges that the Kremlin denies. Meanwhile, opposition figures such as former President Igor Dodon accuse Sandu of suppressing dissent and moving away from Moldova’s historically close ties with Russia.

Earlier this year, Russia condemned the prosecution of Evghenia Gutul, governor of Moldova’s Russian-speaking autonomous region of Gagauzia, who opposes Sandu’s pro-European policies. Gutul was detained in March on campaign finance charges.

In June, Russia arrested two Moldovan nationals on espionage allegations, leading Moldova’s government to issue a travel warning and accuse Russia of “harassing” its citizens.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized that “all law-abiding Moldovan citizens are always welcome” in Russia.

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