Foreign citizens in Russia may be required to sign a «loyalty agreement»

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation has proposed introducing the concept of a «loyalty agreement» for foreign citizens, which entails their agreement with specific restrictions upon entering Russia.

According to the draft law, this document grants permission for a foreign citizen to enter Russia on the condition of complying with prohibitions aimed at protecting the national interests of the Russian Federation. Foreign citizens will be prohibited from obstructing the activities of Russian state authorities, discrediting state policy, and abusing freedom of information aimed at distorting constitutionally significant values, including notions of marriage, family, motherhood, fatherhood, and the historical truth about the feat of the Soviet people, as reported by TASS.

The draft law also prohibits actions aimed at encouraging changes to laws and disrespecting the diversity of regional and ethnocultural ways of life in Russia.