Half of successful applications for Russian permanent residency based on false paternity - Interior Ministry

MOSCOW. Nov 8 (Interfax) - About 50% of the decisions granting permanent residency to foreigners in 2023 were related to the migrants having established paternity of a Russian child for money, the Russian Interior Ministry's spokesperson Irina Volk said.

"Also commonplace is a mechanism where foreign citizens obtain an indefinite residence permit through a fast-track process because their parents, son or daughter have Russian citizenship. In 2023, nearly 50% of all decisions to issue a residence permit were made on this ground," Volk said on Telegram on Friday.

In this particular instance, the foreigners had established paternity of children with Russian citizenship, she said. "The mothers of such children agree to recognize migrants as parents for monetary reward," Volk said.

In 2023, around 40% of all decisions granting temporary residency were based on the fact of an applicant being married, she said.

In the absence of restrictions, "the institutions of marriage and paternity have turned into a criminal tool of organizing illegal immigration," she said. The Interior Ministry is working to establish hallmarks of a sham marriage to a foreign citizen.

"Prosecution authorities are asked to look into suspicious circumstances and initiate legal action for a marriage to be ruled invalid. This was the reason for annulling 240 temporary residence permits and 107 permanent ones last year," Volk said.