Feedback The newspaper Novaya Gazeta Europe published an article ‘Undocumented’ about the trend towards stripping Russians with no second passport of their citizenship has become the latest method being employed by the Russian authorities to exert pressure on activists, with those who refuse to submit punished by being left stateless.
Stripping Russians of their citizenship is expressly forbidden by the country’s Constitution. In late 2022, desecration of the flag, discrediting the army, spreading false information about the military, carrying out the activities of an undesirable organisation, desertion and committing other activities that posed a threat to national security were added to the list. Last year, some 1,757 people were stripped of their citizenship in this way, according to a report by Deutsche Welle.
In August 2024, the Russian authorities adopted yet another set of amendments to laws on military service and citizenship, setting their sights on conscientious objectors. By law, newly naturalised Russian citizens are obliged to report to the military enlistment office within two weeks of obtaining a passport. Failure to comply with this requirement is deemed to be the equivalent of draft dodging and a violation of the constitution, and newly naturalised citizens who are unwilling to serve in the army have in many cases been stripped of their nationality. 214 people were stripped of their citizenship by the summer of 2025 for failing to register with the military registration office.
For those without a second passport, living as an undocumented person in Russia is extremely challenging, as it’s difficult to get a job, access medical care, rent a home, get a driving licence or register a birth. In worst case scenarios, stateless people can be placed in temporary detention centres for foreign citizens for up to two years.
Since August 2021, the Russian authorities have issued temporary identity cards to stateless persons valid for 10 years. It affords holders the right of abode in Russia, but does not allow them to run in elections or hold public office, according to lawyers from Russian human rights organisation First Department.
“Though the constitution expressly forbids it, Russian legislation views citizenship as a contractual relationship between the state and the citizen, not an inalienable right, that can be cancelled by the state unilaterally.”