Russia Is Using Digital IDs and Biometrics to Track Migration Flows

The system is built on a personalized "digital passport" — and it knows where you've been.

Russia is ramping up its use of high-tech surveillance to monitor migration flows from Central Asia, according to Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, who spoke to RIA Novosti.

At border checkpoints, migrants are photographed and subjected to biometric scans, including fingerprint collection. Once inside the country, they’re directed to a migration center where a genomic analysis is performed. All the collected data is stored in a centralized system and compiled into a digital passport — a comprehensive identity file.

“This document lets law enforcement know when someone entered the country, whether they’ve received a work permit, passed required exams, where they’re employed, how much tax they’ve paid, and more,” Sobyanin explained.

In short, if a foreign national breaks the law, the system makes them instantly traceable.

Inside Moscow, digital tracking goes even further. Migrants are required to install a mobile app that regularly requests identity confirmation and geolocation updates. Failure to comply — whether by refusal or neglect — is flagged as a violation of residency tracking rules.

The city has also rolled out electronic migrant cards that give police near-instant access to a person’s legal status. The card’s status is color-coded: 🔴 Red means the person is wanted and should be detained. 🟡 Yellow signals possible violations and triggers a warning. 🟢 Green grants unrestricted movement.

What might sound like a dystopian plotline is already operational — blending genomics, biometrics, mobile tracking, and real-time status tagging into one massive urban control grid.