10.12.2025
Chairman of the Human Rights Council and Academic Director of the RSUH Institute of Heritage and Modern Society, Valery Fadeev, proposed eliminating excessive exams for Russian-speaking children of compatriots from post-Soviet states, protecting workers’ rights, and helping homeless individuals receive the free medical care to which they are entitled.
On the eve of Human Rights Day, celebrated on December 10, the annual meeting of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights was held via a videoconference, chaired by President Vladimir Putin. Valery Fadeev spoke on several pressing issues requiring special attention. He noted that the language tests introduced for migrant children were being unjustifiably applied to Russian-speaking children of compatriots returning to Russia from Latvia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, and other post-Soviet states. As a result, these children are being denied admission to Russian schools.
Another issue raised by the Council head concerns the violation of workers’ rights. Today, millions of citizens working under civil contracts or with self-employed status lack the protections of the Labor Code. As a result, they often work under exploitative conditions, receive unlawful fines, and frequently are not familiar with the full text of the contracts they sign. A further concern was the provision of medical aid to the homeless.
As a solution, Fadeev proposed involving non-profit organizations: civil society activists, he suggested, could take on responsibilities related to verifying the identity of homeless individuals. Funding their treatment could also be organized through NGOs. President Putin thanked Valery Fadeev for his report and supported the proposals. Assistance to homeless individuals through NGOs will be drafted as a legislative initiative for detailed review. The Human Rights Council will also present specific proposals regarding the protection of labor rights. Speaking on the issue of Russian-language exams for children of compatriots who have moved to Russia permanently, Vladimir Putin concluded:
“Why should there be an exam at all? They are our citizens already, not migrants. When we speak of migrants, we want everything to be properly arranged. But these are people who have tied their lives and the fortune of their children to Russia.”
