The Home Office, which proposed the reform, said it would give the state more control over immigration.
Kazakhstan will no longer allow Russian citizens to stay in the central Asian country indefinitely by introducing a so-called passport visa that will be valid every three months, according to a government directive published this week.
The government in Astana will ban the practice from January 26, requiring Russians and citizens of other members of the Eurasian Economic Union, a post-Soviet union, to leave the country for at least 90 days after the three-month permitted stay.
The Home Office, which proposed the reform, said it would give the state more control over immigration.
Tens of thousands of Russians, mostly young and middle-aged men, settled in Kazakhstan last year as Moscow, embroiled in the conflict in Ukraine, launched its first recruitment campaign since World War II.
The Russian language is widely spoken in Kazakhstan, and the two countries share the world’s longest land border, making Kazakhstan a popular choice among Russians fleeing to avoid conscription.
The ability to stay in the country de facto indefinitely — leaving and returning every 90 days — is another important factor.
However, the country is having difficulty facing the influx of Russians. Authorities in Kazakhstan said unusually large inflows contributed to inflation, which soared past 20 percent last year, its highest level since the 1990s.
The war in Ukraine has also caused tension between Moscow and Astana, with the latter refusing to support its former Soviet ruler and appealing for peace.
RES-EMP
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