Russian parliament reportedly to introduce bill banning remote work for public sector and cybersecurity workers

Before the end of 2022, a group of Russian parliamentary deputies and senators will introduce a bill to ban remote work for certain workers, the independent outlet Verstka reported Wednesday, citing two sources from the State Duma.

The new initiative will apply to certain cybersecurity and transportation workers as well as public sector employees, according to one of the sources.

The sources also noted that the legislation will affect Russians who have emigrated amid the war and mobilization, and that it’s certain to be passed into law. According to one source, the bill’s “target audience” includes both Russians who have already left the country and people in the country who “hate those who have fled and consider them cowards.”

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, hundreds of thousands of Russians have left the country. After Putin’s mobilization announcement in September, more than 400,000 Russians fled to Kazakhstan and more than 700,000 went to Georgia, according to official data from those countries. Though many have since returned, about 100,000 Russians who left after the announcement have remained in each country.