A new academic study published by Cambridge University Press & Assessment examines Russia's citizenship law of 2023 and argues that Moscow now uses citizenship as an instrument of state policy.

The study, titled Russia's Instrumentalization of Citizenship: A Study of the 2023 Citizenship Law, analyses how the Russian state rewrote the rules on who becomes a citizen and why.

For readers of Passport File, the subject matters beyond Russia. Citizenship law usually answers a narrow question: who belongs to the state? The Cambridge study asks a different one: what happens when a government treats passports themselves as tools of foreign and domestic policy?

What does the 2023 law change?

The research treats the 2023 law not as a routine administrative update but as a shift in purpose. According to the study's framing, the law links citizenship policy to the state's wider strategic goals rather than to the traditional logic of membership.

The authors describe this as "instrumentalization" — the use of citizenship rules to pursue objectives outside the normal scope of nationality law.

In plain words, the passport stops being only a legal status and starts working as leverage.

Who does the study address?

The Cambridge analysis speaks primarily to scholars of migration law, nationality policy and post-Soviet politics. It also carries lessons for policymakers who track how states deploy legal status in conflicts and in relations with neighbouring countries.

The study fits a broader research conversation on how citizenship can be expanded, restricted or weaponised to serve state interests.

The takeaway for migration analysts: changes to citizenship rules can signal political intent, not just administrative housekeeping.

Why does this matter now?

Russia overhauled its citizenship framework in 2023, and the Cambridge study positions that overhaul within the country's geopolitical conduct. The research examines the mechanism: how legal provisions on acquisition of citizenship translate into instruments the state can direct toward specific populations and territories.

For governments and observers assessing Russia's reach among its neighbours, the study offers an analytical framework rather than a policy prescription.

The one-sentence summary: a passport regime can be designed to do political work, and the 2023 Russian law is the case study.

Where can readers follow the research?

The study is available through Cambridge University Press & Assessment under the title Russia's Instrumentalization of Citizenship: A Study of the 2023 Citizenship Law. Readers should consult the published text for the full argument, methodology and legal citations.

Passport File will continue to track academic and official analyses of citizenship law changes worldwide.