In 2025, the state program for the voluntary return of foreign compatriots to Russia for permanent residence, which Russian officials prioritize in their slogans, set another anti-record: only 27.6 thousand people relocated, UNN reports with reference to the Foreign Intelligence Service.
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As reported by intelligence, with the beginning of Russia's "SVO" (special military operation), the number of such "true" Russians decreased annually: 2022 – 64.8 thousand, 2023 – 45.1 thousand, 2024 – 31.7 thousand. It was through this "return" program that Russia planned to overcome the demographic crisis.
With the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the total number of compatriots-resettlers to Russia from former USSR countries sharply decreased: from Tajikistan – 10 times, Azerbaijan and Moldova – 6 times, Georgia – 5 times, Armenia – 4 times, and Kazakhstan – 3 times.
Despite the fact that repatriation (return) is defined as a priority in the concept of Russia's migration policy, "on the ground" the bureaucratic and repressive Russian apparatus traditionally plays the role of unwelcoming hosts. The "witch hunt" for "untraditional" foreign values for Russia, incorrect language tests and other knowledge force "compatriots who have returned to their homeland" to feel all the strong embraces of their native country.
The demographic crisis in Russia is steadily deepening. According to Rosstat, the birth rate in the country is rapidly falling: in 2023, 1.265 million children were born, in 2024 – already 1.222 million, and forecasts for the coming years promise only further reduction. At the same time, mortality consistently exceeds the birth rate – every year in Russia approximately 500 thousand more people die than are born. That is, even without taking into account the war and emigration, the country naturally "loses weight" by half a million people per year