Kazakhstan will no longer allow Russian citizens to stay in the country indefinitely. 

Astana's decision was published this week on its official website.

The government of Kazakhstan will prohibit the above practice from January 26, obliging the Russians and citizens of other countries of the Eurasian Economic Union to leave the country for at least 90 days after the allowed three-month stay.

The country's Interior Ministry, which proposed the measure, said it would allow the state to tighten control over immigration.

Kazakh authorities said an unusually large influx of people contributed to inflation, which last year topped 20 percent, the highest since the 1990s.

About 400,000 Russians entered Kazakhstan between September 21 and 30, acting Interior Ministry Migration Service Committee Chairman Aslan Atalykov said. This was preceded by Russia's partial mobilisation on September 21, 2022. By comparison, Atalykov said 3m Russians - mostly young men - crossed into Kazakhstan last year.