russia Is Creating “Digital Dossiers” on Migrants

The ministry of internal affairs of the rf has approved a list of information that will be included in the “digital profile of a foreign citizen” – a single state resource that is to become operational on June 30, 2026. The profile will include data on border crossings, stays in russia, employment, property, vehicles, tax history, education, medical records, contact details, and even the results of the russian language tests. In fact, this is a complete dossier that will allow the russian state to see every step a migrant takes.

Formally, moscow explains the creation of the system as a “simplification of service provision” and “optimization of information exchange”. In reality, the project demonstrates the classic russian approach – tightening control and surveillance. The ministry of internal affairs of the rf will be the operator of the profile, while law enforcement agencies and supervisory bodies will be involved in filling the database. This shows that the main goal is not to help people, but to exercise total surveillance and their subordination to the state system.

The inclusion of sensitive categories of information in the profile is especially interesting: from administrative offenses to health data. In an authoritarian state, this opens up enormous opportunities for pressure, discrimination, and the use of data for repressive purposes. Migrants will effectively find themselves under constant digital surveillance, where any minor detail could become a pretext for persecution or restrictions.

Instead of creating safe conditions for foreigners to live and work, russia is building yet another surveillance tool. The “digital profile” is not about protecting rights, but about increasing people’s dependence on and control by the state apparatus. This is yet another indication that in modern russia, privacy, dignity, and freedoms have no value, especially when it comes to migrants, over whom the authorities seek to have complete control.