The Russian Federation has made agreements with the Ukraine and Lithuania defining and clarifying its external borders shared with those countries (see 8.12 – International Co-operation on Migration). Russia has also concluded agreements with Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyz and Tajikistan on border controls and Russian border officials are situated in these countries to manage the Russian borders. In 2002 attempts were made to strengthen the border with Kazakhstan. The Russian Security Council in November 2002 set out its priorities for Russian border controls, which included fighting terrorism and illegal immigration.

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In 1997 Russia introduced new regulations for the entry of foreign citizens to the country. Third country citizens must obtain visas prior to entering the Russian Federation. All visitors must obtain an immigration card within three days of entry to the country; foreigners without these cards will be regarded as irregular migrants (see 8.2-Immigration Law and Policy). Visas may be obtained for purposes of tourism, for up to one month, as visitors, for up to three months or for the purposes of business (see 8.5-migrant workers).

There are over 400 passport checkpoints along the borders of the Russian Federation. There are also114 points of Immigration Control (PICs), operated by the Ministry of Interior; these are situated at border crossings and international airports. Article 4(2) of the 1997 Russian Federation Refugee Law provides that asylum applicants are obliged to make claims at the border. Applicants arriving illegally, therefore without the necessary documentation, may be detained by border officials under Article 13 of the Regulations on the Procedure for the Work with Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons arriving and staying in Russian Federation and seeking Asylum for Determination of their Status, Temporary Accommodation and Stay in the Territory of the Russian Federation, which came into force in September 1994. Article 13 states that if there is no immigration control post at the border a person arriving irregularly may be detained for a period of time necessary for making reports in connection with their claim to the nearest territorial Federal Migrations Service office in order for their claim to be transferred over for the determination of their legal status.

Analysis provided by: Anisa Niaz LLM (Public Law), United Kingdom.

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