Medvedev addresses education problem with migrant children

A lack of Russian language proficiency has created obstacles for foreign students and schools, according to the former president

Thousands of migrant children studying in Russian schools have a bad command of the Russian language, former President Dmitry Medvedev stated on Thursday. He underscored the importance of introducing mandatory language tests.

Medvedev, who currently serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, made the remarks at a meeting on improving migration legislation.

He said that the prolonged stay of migrant families in the country creates a serious burden on the social sector, as it means that, among other things, their children must attend Russian schools.

Citing data by the Ministry of Education, Medvedev said that more than 200,000 children of migrants are currently studying in Russia.

“Unfortunately, a significant part, some 40%, have insufficient proficiency in Russian to master educational programs, notably basic knowledge,” Medvedev stressed.

He previously argued that this negatively impacts the general level of education in the country and should be stopped.

It is important to work out in detail all issues related to the mandatory language testing of migrant children, according to the former president.

Read more

New rules requiring the children of migrants to undergo mandatory Russian language tests were unveiled earlier this month. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko said on Tuesday that Russia will start checking the children of foreign nationals who enroll in Russian schools for their basic knowledge of the national language starting next spring. This is when most Russian schools start accepting admission applications.

Under a new law passed by the State Duma, those who fail the tests will be barred from attending regular schools. The language tests will be free of charge.

President Vladimir Putin earlier supported the idea of introducing language tests for the children of migrants, saying the legislation was “understandable,” because “how can a child be taught at school if he does not speak the language?” 

Both Putin and Medvedev have acknowledged migration as an acute issue. According to Medvedev, there are cases when some foreign nationals “do not work or study anywhere, and, in fact, do not want to comply with the norms of Russian legislation,” which could ultimately lead to the formation of “ethnic enclaves,” creating fertile ground for the spread of extremism and terrorism.

Russia’s Investigative Committee revealed in October that migrants had committed more than 26,000 crimes since the start of the year. The number of violations by undocumented migrants have tripled, from 2,880 in 2023 to 8,059 this year.

According to the Interior Ministry, there are currently some 6.2 million foreign citizens living in the country, of whom an estimated 740,000 are present illegally.