Russia cracks down on 43,000 fake residential registrations in two years
Russia's Interior Ministry has introduced new rules for removing people from residential registration records if their registration is proven false. Over the past two years, authorities have already deregistered 43,413 individuals for fictitious registrations. The latest measures aim to streamline the process and enforce compliance more strictly. The procedure, outlined in a draft order by the Interior Ministry's Migration Service, requires a formal legal ruling before deregistration. This could be a guilty verdict, a court order, or a judicial decision that has taken legal effect. Once confirmed, the decision to remove someone from the records must be made within five business days.
The responsibility for issuing these decisions lies with the heads of the Interior Ministry's regional branches or their authorised deputies. After a ruling, property owners or tenants will receive an informal written notice about the deregistration. Official figures show that 27,319 people were deregistered in the first 11 months of 2024 alone. A further 16,094 cases were processed from the start of 2025 through December of that year, bringing the total to 43,413 over two years.
The new system ensures faster action against false registrations once fraud is legally confirmed. Authorities will notify affected parties in writing, while maintaining a clear timeline for processing each case. The updated rules reflect ongoing efforts to tighten controls over residential records in Russia.
