Putin makes it easier for refugees and Soviet resettlers to stick around in Russia

Vladimir Putin signed a law today that simplifies Russia's procedures for granting residence permits to nationals from Ukraine and other countries with refugee status.

The reforms mean refugees seeking residence permits no longer need to reside at least a year in Russia. The law also affects foreigners participating in Russia's program for voluntary resettlement, which promotes the resettlement of former Soviet citizens and their offspring to the Russian Federation.

The law takes effect 90 days from the time it is officially published.