The State Duma (Russia’s lower chamber of parliament) will soon review a bill proposed by MP Mikhail Matveyev, which may limit access to preferential housing for large families only to those migrants who have lived in Russia for more than 10 years.

As Matveyev explained in an interview with Ura.ru, the initiative arose after consultations with lawyers, who informed him that such matters fall under the jurisdiction of regional authorities.

This means that each region has the right to establish its own criteria for issuing certificates for preferential housing.

The proposal is being discussed in light of numerous public debates regarding who is entitled to benefits in Russia, especially after the significant increase in the number of migrants who recently acquired citizenship in several cities across the country.

Mikhail Matveyev, a member of the State Duma from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF), has repeatedly spoken on topics related to Tajik migrants.  He previously suggested the creation of "Tajik battalions" and expressed outrage at the insufficient mobilization of migrants from Central Asia.  In September of last year, Matveyev introduced a bill that proposes stripping migrants of Russian citizenship for evading military service and also suggested revoking citizenship for their family members.

Migrants and preferential housing: legal opinions

Lawyer Denis Khmelevskoy, commenting on the bill, noted that the State Duma does not need to introduce additional laws to determine categories of people who can receive housing certificates.
He also emphasized that issues related to the right to social benefits should be addressed at the local level.

Khmelevskoy also said that he morally does not see any problems with giving preference to local residents rather than those who have recently become Russian citizens.

“I am also a father of many children, but I don’t quite understand how I, as a Russian citizen, can receive a certificate for improving housing conditions," the lawyer noted.

Conflict in Khabarovsk and fraud with housing subsidies

The situation regarding preferential housing certificates escalated after a scandal in Khabarovsk, where about 20% of those who received housing were migrants from Central Asia and the Caucasus, causing discontent among local residents.

At the same time, the Russians and indigenous peoples in the city make up more than 95% of the population.

This issue became even more pressing after a Tajik woman was arrested in the Moscow region, accused of committing fraud related to the receipt of housing subsidies.