In many countries, the arrival of tens or hundreds of thousands of people unfamiliar with the local language and culture is accompanied by integration programs. In Russia, after the Crocus City Hall attack, the authorities instead moved to tighten migration policy.
One of the harshest measures was the introduction of mandatory Russian-language testing for migrant children before they could be admitted to school. Parents are also required to provide an extensive set of documents proving their fully legal stay in the country.
If the paperwork is deemed insufficient and the child fails the exam, the school can refuse enrollment. According to available testimony, the tests themselves are conducted in conditions uncomfortable for children and are designed in a way that screens many of them out.
Critics of the measure say it conflicts both with international standards on children’s access to education and with the right to free secondary education guaranteed by the Russian Constitution. Despite that, the law was adopted.
The testing began in spring 2025. At the same time, the state did not create a system of Russian-as-a-foreign-language courses or adaptation centers for migrant children that could have helped them prepare for school.
By the start of the main autumn school enrollment period, the outcome was predictable. Many families from Central Asia, whose labor is in demand in Russia’s construction sector, supermarkets, and other low-skilled jobs, could not afford private tutors for their children.