Moscow to Track Migrants via Geolocation: A Controversial Pilot Program

Moscow to Pilot Geolocation Tracking of Migrants Moscow and the Moscow region will begin a pilot program on September 1, 2025, to track migrants from visa-free countries using geolocation technology. The program, which will run until September 2029, requires migrants to register with authorities, provide biometric data, and install a smartphone app that shares their location. Minors and Belarusian citizens are exempt. Experts have raised concerns. "Such harsh measures could lead to a drain of labor," warned Alexander Safonov, a Doctor of Economic Sciences. The head of the Uzbek community in Moscow, Viktor Teplyakov, called the initiative ill-conceived and aimed at mass deportations. The program's long-term effects on migration patterns and migrant communities remain to be seen.