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The law was passed by the State Duma on December 23, 2005, and was approved by the Federation Council on December 27, 2005.

The objective of the Federal Law in question is to create the legal basis for organising the registration of foreign nationals and stateless persons entering the Russian Federation and (or) the Republic of Belarus from the territory of a third country, and for keeping check on their temporary presence on the territory of the two states concerned.

This Federal Law is needed in connection with the fact that in accordance with article 30 of the Federal Law “On the Legal Status of Foreign Nationals in the Russian Federation”, foreign nationals must present an immigration card to the border checkpoint officials when crossing the state border. At present, however, people crossing the state border between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus are not subject to any border checkpoint formalities, neither on the Russian Federation side of the border, nor on that of the Republic of Belarus.