MOSCOW.- President Vladimir Putin took an additional step in Russian military strategy by signing a decree that speeds up the naturalization process for foreigners joining the country’s army.
This measure, announced in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine, aims to facilitate the rapid incorporation of troops, in particular through the recruitment of migrants, a practice that has gained relevance during the ongoing mobilization.
The history of this policy dates back to September 2022, when Putin first allowed accelerated naturalization for foreigners who signed contracts with the Russian military. At that time, partial mobilization to recruit 300,000 reservists for Ukraine was underway.
The initial condition required migrants to sign a contract of at least one year and participate in active hostilities for at least six months, allowing them to apply for naturalization without demonstrating sufficient knowledge of Russian or having resided in the country for five consecutive years with residence permit.
Later, in May 2023, another Putin decree further simplified the process by removing the six-month clause for participation in active hostilities. Now, the latest decree signed shortens the deadlines even further, establishing that decisions on these applications should not take more than one month instead of three.
The lack of comment from the Kremlin so far leaves questions about the motivations behind this change.
Migrant raids
This decision becomes relevant amid reports of raids against migrants in Russian cities. It is noted that detainees are encouraged, and even pressured, to sign contracts with the army. Additionally, those who have recently acquired Russian citizenship are sent to recruiting offices to assess whether they meet the requirements for conscription.
The most recent raid, reported by the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, took place in St. Petersburg during New Year’s celebrations, where more than 3,000 migrants were detained in the streets
Source: With information from AP
