Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree easing residency and work rights for hundreds of thousands of people who left Ukraine for Russia after the Kremlin’s military intervention in the neighboring country began.

Under these new “temporary measures” published on Saturday, holders of a Ukrainian passport, as well as residents of the pro-Russian separatist territories of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, will be able to stay in Russia “indefinitely.” This was reported by the France-Presse and Agerpres agencies on Saturday.

Until now, they could officially reside in Russia for only 90 days during a 180-day period. For a longer stay, they had to obtain a work permit or a special permit.

From now on, interested persons have “the right to carry out professional activities in Russia without a work permit,” the decree states.

Fingerprinting, photography for identification, medical examination

However, in order to take advantage of this measure, they will have to undergo a fingerprinting, photo identification and medical screening for possible drug and infectious diseases.

The text also prohibits the deportation of Ukrainian citizens from Russia, with the exception of persons who have been released from prison or are considered dangerous for the security of Russia.

In a separate decree, Vladimir Putin ordered to provide social assistance to the less protected sections of the population (pensioners, disabled people and pregnant women) who are forced to leave Ukraine and the separatist territories.

Some of the Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Russia managed to get out

According to Moscow, after the start of the Kremlin’s large-scale offensive on Kyiv at the end of February, 3.6 million people, including 587,000 children, would have left Ukraine for Russia. Russian authorities are encouraging these trips and have opened accommodation centers across the country, AFP notes.

Some of these refugees, who were often helped by activists, did manage to leave Russia for the European Union.

In July, the Kremlin made it easier for Ukrainians to obtain Russian citizenship, a move Kyiv condemned as a means of strengthening Moscow’s influence in conquered territories.

According to the UN, up to 2 million refugees from the occupied territories of Ukraine may be in Russia, UNIAN reports. But there are no exact figures on this, because the Russian army blocks the possibility of entering the territories under the control of the Ukrainian authorities.

On June 20, Iryna Vereshchuk, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for reintegration of temporarily occupied territories, stated that 1.2 million Ukrainians, including 240,000 children, were forcibly deported to Russia since the beginning of the war, Unian reports.

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