The State Duma decided to rectify the situation by recently passing amendments in the first reading that significantly simplify obtaining Russian citizenship for compatriots and their descendants. Among other things, they abolish the five-year residence requirement in Russia, the need for a residence permit and permanent registration, as well as proof of income and knowledge of the Russian language.
However, all this joy is offset by the broad interpretation of the concept of “compatriot” in the Law “On the State Policy of the Russian Federation towards Compatriots Abroad.” Many, seeing that it mentions descendants of citizens and subjects not only of the Russian Federation and the USSR, but also of the Russian state almost from the time of Ivan Kalita, concluded that the authorities decided to bring to Russia not only foreign Russians, but also the entire population of the former USSR republics, and also Finland and Poland. That is 202.6 million people. There is certainly a lot of space in Siberia, but still...
But if you read carefully, it becomes clear that only representatives of the indigenous peoples of the current Russian Federation can be recognized as compatriots. So no Tajiks or even Ukrainians. Unless they prove that they descend from fully Russified foreigners of the past – those who spoke Russian fluently, were part of Russian culture and its traditions. In short, even after the adoption of the amendments, the label of compatriot can only be issued by a specific official at his own discretion.
“Everything depends on law enforcement practice,” Sergey Panteleev, director of the Institute of the Russian Diaspora, explains to Itogi. “Although the exam in Russian language is being abolished, if you do not know it, then from the official’s point of view, you are not a compatriot. However, an exception may be made for Prince Golitsyn, a descendant of first-wave emigrants who speaks, say, only French.” In 1999, the Adyghe people from Kosovo, who could not string together two words in Russian, were brought to Russia.
According to the boldest estimates, there could be 20 million compatriots. For the most part, these are representatives of the largest Russian communities abroad – in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, the USA, and Germany. However, even these “correct” compatriots could again be spoiled by the housing issue. To accommodate them in their historical homeland, almost 480 million square meters of housing need to be built.