Russia Introduces Bills to Tighten Migrant Medical Checks and Penalties

Overview

• One bill led by Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin sets a single 30‑day window after entry for foreign citizens to undergo medical screening, with mandatory rechecks one year later.
• Screenings would be paid for by the migrants, medical organizations would be barred from subcontracting the work, and results would be filed as electronic records in the unified health information system.
• Medical providers would be required to notify the Interior Ministry and Rospotrebnadzor when dangerous diseases or drug use are identified to enable prompt removal decisions.
• A separate bill, announced by Duma Vice Speaker Irina Yarovaya, would raise fines for evading screening to 25,000–50,000 rubles, with possible court‑ordered expulsion.
• The penalty package also proposes major fines or suspensions for organizations that break procedures and criminal liability for fake medical certificates, including prison terms of up to four years, rising to eight years in aggravated cases.