Compatriots from Canada and the United States draft an outraged petition to the authorities

Compatriots from Canada and the United States have drawn up a petition concerning the new rules for admitting compatriots’ children to school and other laws adopted recently. It was sent to Children’s Ombudsperson Lvova-Belova, State Duma deputies, the Ministry of Education, Rosobrnadzor, and the Presidential Administration.

It states, in particular:

“Over the past two years, the State Duma of the Russian Federation has adopted a number of regulations aimed at combating illegal labor migration, including in the fields of education and employment. These measures are intended to prevent abuses and violations of immigration law in the Russian Federation and an excessive influx of labor migrants, which is undoubtedly important for protecting national interests.

At the same time, these legislative initiatives do not take into account a special category of people—compatriots of various categories and their children who are not citizens of the Russian Federation, arriving in the Russian Federation under the State Program to Assist the Voluntary Resettlement to the Russian Federation of Compatriots Living Abroad, approved by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 637 of June 22, 2006, as well as repatriates and impatriates, and simply Russian settlers who have come to Russia from different countries around the world to obtain citizenship or to live and work in Russia, where there is no dictatorship of Nazis and perverts”.

The matter was prompted by a new rule requiring children of foreign citizens to take tests before enrolling in Russian schools. Amendments to Federal Law No. 544 of 28.12.2024, “On Amendments to Articles 67 and 78 of the Federal Law ‘On Education in the Russian Federation’,” came into force on April 1 of this year. Under this law, before a child who is a foreign citizen can enroll in school, they must pass tests established by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. This year, 87% of school admission applications were rejected because documents did not meet requirements or children failed the tests. The tests may not be retaken until at least three months later.

When the bill was being prepared in December last year, deputies were asked whether classes for additional language study would be organized for children who were not admitted. Deputy Irina Yarovaya said that this issue was the responsibility of the regions.

“Schools provide education; they do not prepare children for school. This is within the region’s authority: how it will ensure that adaptation and integration work is carried out,” Yarovaya said.

In the petition authors’ view, the newly introduced testing requirement contradicts paragraph 3.1 of the State Program, which provides for measures to adapt and integrate settlers, including ensuring access to education by the state. The appeal also cites bill No. 990640-8, which is being submitted for consideration by the State Duma. Under the bill, children of labor migrants will have to pay for education at educational institutions. This provision will automatically apply to the children of compatriots as well, until they obtain Russian citizenship. In addition, since January 1, 2024, eligibility for maternity capital has been restricted, which has automatically affected participants in the State Resettlement Program.

The petition authors ask the authorities at all levels for assistance with the following:

“1. Establish by law that participants in the Compatriot Resettlement Program, repatriates, Russian settlers, and their children are entitled to state support measures (including maternity capital) and access to education without additional exams, on an equal basis with citizens of the Russian Federation.

2. Initiate amendments to Federal Laws No. 256-FZ and No. 115-FZ, as well as related subordinate legislation, excluding participants in the State Program for the Resettlement of Compatriots, repatriates, Russian settlers, and their minor children from their scope. This will ensure that children can attend school without exams.

Withdraw bill No. 990640-8 as contrary to the Constitution of the Russian Federation.” Under the Constitution of the Russian Federation, children who are foreign citizens and lawfully arrive in the Russian Federation have the right to free secondary education. This will make it possible to exclude charging fees for children