List of prohibited professions for migrants is being expanded in Saratov Oblast and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug

Citizens of Uzbekistan may face new regulatory measures concerning work in the taxi sector in Russia. The Ministry of Labour of the Russian Federation has proposed introducing a zero quota for foreign workers in this industry in eight regions starting in 2027.

However, this restriction will not apply to citizens of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, and Armenia. According to the presented draft, companies in Mordovia, Tatarstan, Udmurtia, Chuvashia, Orenburg, Sverdlovsk, Ulyanovsk, and Jewish Autonomous Oblast will not be able to hire foreign employees for taxi work or for providing car rental services with a driver.

Special conditions are provided for foreigners who possess a permanent residency permit or a temporary residence permit in Russia, as well as for highly qualified specialists. Furthermore, the project provides exceptions for citizens of Eurasian Economic Union countries, including Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, who will retain their previous working conditions.

The project also affects other sectors of the economy. For example, in Mordovia and Udmurtia, it is planned to establish a zero quota for foreigners in urban and suburban passenger transport, as well as in road freight transport. In the Orenburg region, restrictions may apply to urban and suburban transport, while in the Kaluga region, they may affect courier activities.

The Ministry of Labour specified that the standards will apply individually to each employer, preventing companies from exceeding the established number of foreign workers. The authorities of Mordovia justify the need for these measures by the increase in accidents involving foreigners, cases of illegal employment in taxis, and other violations.

Currently, these restrictions are presented in the form of a draft resolution scheduled for 2027. The document was approved by the Russian Three-Party Commission at the end of October, but its official entry into force requires the signature of Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

In parallel, Uzbekistan is preparing to launch the 'Online-Mahalla' platform, which is intended to assist citizens working abroad. Through this system, migrant workers will be able to contact diplomats if problems arise abroad; the implementation of this system is planned within ten days.

The list of professions that foreign citizens will be unable to hold is planned to be expanded in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug of Russia, starting from January 1, 2027. According to the new rules, migrants will be prohibited from working in bakeries, warehouses, order pickup points, as well as in the spheres of culture and sports.

The Governor of KhMAO-Yugra, Ruslan Kukharuk, announced these changes. The regional government specified that the total number of sectors closed to foreigners will increase from 27 to 30. At the same time, the authorities emphasized that the goal of these measures is primarily to ensure employment for the local population.

Despite the tightening of rules, local authorities do not intend to completely exclude foreign labor, as there remains a need for specialists in the oil and gas and construction industries in Yugra. Nevertheless, the priority remains protecting the interests of Yugra residents and ensuring their compliance with Russian legislation.

A trend of decreasing migration inflow has been observed in the region: over nine months of 2026, the number of arriving migrants decreased by almost 23% compared to the previous year. Simultaneously, there was a sharp increase in the number of deported foreigners—the indicator rose from 343 people in 2025 to over 2.1 thousand in 2026.

Ruslan Kukharuk also mentioned that previously the authorities faced situations where foreigners came to Yugra with the aim of receiving increased social benefits, which even led to advice appearing on social networks.

The region continues to tighten social norms: in December 2025, deputies of the Okrug Legislative Assembly restricted foreigners' ability to receive a one-time payment of 20 thousand rubles under the 'Grow in Yugra' program, establishing the requirement of Russian citizenship and registration in the okrug.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the launch dates of the new federal system for hiring labor migrants in Russia could potentially be postponed from January to March 2027. This system will require foreigners to register in a special registry and work exclusively for a specific employer.