Vyacheslav Volodin, the Speaker of the State Duma (Russia’s lower chamber of parliament), has called for doctors and teachers to be removed from the list of professions that allow foreign citizens to obtain a residence permit (residency) in Russia through a simplified process.

The State Duma’s press center says that during a plenary session, he explained that this step is necessary to ensure that Russia's own educational and medical institutions can produce high-quality professionals.  Volodin emphasized that creating favorable conditions for Russian doctors and teachers should be a priority for the government.

He reportedly argued that relying on migrants in the healthcare sector is not advisable.  Volodin pointed out that only 34% of graduates who were trained for targeted medical positions end up working in hospitals.  Instead of bringing in migrant workers, he suggested the focus should be on understanding why these graduates are not entering the profession and addressing the issues that deter them.

In this context, Volodin criticized the Ministry of Health for seeking to attract migrants to fill roles as doctors and nurses, insisting that the government should first explore whether it is appropriate to involve migrants in these sectors.

On October 15, he instructed the Ministry of Labor to clarify its position on labor migration in Russia. Volodin also expressed concern that some migrants exploit loopholes, such as entering into fake marriages, to gain residency. He urged the Ministry of Labor to justify the inclusion of certain professions in the list that allows for simplified residency acquisition.