• Kazakhstan would no longer permit Russian nationals to enter.
• The measure was suggested by the Interior Ministry.
• Russian emigrated to Kazakhstan last year.

A government decree released this week states that Kazakhstan would no longer permit Russian nationals to enter the Central Asian nation indefinitely by performing so-called visa runs every three months.

From January 26, the Astana government will forbid the practice, requiring Russians and citizens of other post-Soviet bloc nations to depart the country for at least 90 days following the allowed three-month stay.

The measure was suggested by the Interior Ministry, which said it would provide the government with more control over immigration.

Tens of thousands of Russians, largely young and middle-aged males, emigrated to Kazakhstan last year when Moscow began its first conscription drive since World War Two due to its involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.

Given that Kazakhstan and Russia have the world’s longest continuous land border and that Russian is a widely spoken language there, Russians avoiding the draught frequently choose Kazakhstan.

The ability to stay in the country de facto indefinitely – by leaving it and reentering every 90 days – has been another important factor.

However, the nation has had a difficult time adjusting to the inflow of Russians. Authorities in Kazakhstan claim that the exceptionally huge inflows were a factor in the country’s record-high inflation rate of more than 20% last year.

The conflict in Ukraine has also strained relations between Moscow and Astana since the latter has sided with peace advocates rather than its former Soviet master.

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