Photo: t.me/customs_rf
Russia has canceled the rule limiting Kazakh drivers to no more than 90 days per year on its territory without registration. The news was announced by Bolatbek Nazhmetdinuly (Aliyev), a member of Kazakhstan’s Mazhilis (lower house of parliament), on his Facebook page (banned in Russia; owned by Meta, which is designated as extremist in the Russian Federation).
“Our government promptly contacted its counterparts in the Russian Federation, and last night a decision was made not to apply the new migration restrictions to drivers engaged in international cargo and passenger transport,” he wrote.
A day earlier, it was reported that Kazakhstan had appealed to the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) over traffic jams at the border with Russia and complaints from drivers about new Russian migration rules. Astana proposed recognizing the situation as a barrier to foreign trade.
Under the regulations that took effect in January, foreign citizens may stay in Russia without registration for no more than 90 days per calendar year, regardless of the number of entries and exits (previously the period was 180 days). Nazhmetdinuly had earlier noted numerous complaints from Kazakh drivers about the restriction.
Most drivers had already exhausted their stay limit in Russia and were forced to wait until the new year to resume work. Those who exceeded the 90-day limit were detained and issued notifications requiring them to leave the country, the deputy said.
The situation was further complicated by long queues of freight trucks observed since September at the border between the two countries, reportedly linked to efforts to curb “gray imports.”
