Transformation of the migration policy of the Russian Federation

The article examines the transformation of the migration policy of the Russian Federation from the early post–Soviet reforms to the most recent conceptual documents defining the guidelines for 2026–2030. The analysis focuses on the shift from a predominantly administrative and restrictive approach towards a more complex regulatory model that combines control over migration flows with demographic objectives, labour market needs and security considerations. The key stages include the institutional formation of migration policy in the 1990s, the adoption of the Concept of the State Migration Policy of the Russian Federation up to 2025 and the subsequent revision of strategic priorities towards stronger demographic and regional dimensions. The empirical basis consists of legal acts, official policy concepts and analytical materials produced by Russian research centres, which make it possible to compare declared goals with the actual mechanisms used to implement migration policy. The article shows that the evolution of migration policy has been accompanied by increasing complexity of regulatory instruments and by growing requirements for coherence between migration, demographic, social and regional policy domains.