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Moscow Region Head Calls for CIS Migrant Visa Regime
MOSCOW, May 16 (RIA Novosti) - The Moscow Region acting governor has
called for introduction of a visa regime for citizens of the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) travelling to Russia, in
response to the rising number of illegal migrants in the region.
`At least 20 percent of the population in the Moscow Region are
migrants,' acting Governor Andrei Vorobyov said. `If we fail to
regulate this process it will go astray.'
Vorobyov said he supports President Vladimir Putin's initiative to
introduce visas for residents of the member states of the CIS, which
consists of former Soviet republics.
In his State of the Nation address in December, Putin called for an
end to the practice of allowing citizens from post-Soviet republics to
enter Russian territory on their national (internal) passports by no
later than 2015.
The issue is a thorny one for the Russian government, which has to
balance public disquiet over immigration with the economic necessity
of bringing in labor to make up for Russia's shrinking working age
population.
Most former Soviet republics, including Russia, retain the internal
passport, which in the Soviet Union served as an ID card, a record of
place of residence and other important information.
Under existing agreements, Russia allows visa-free entrance to
national passport holders from the CIS countries, including
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova,
Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
Russia has the world's largest number of illegal migrants, accounting
for almost seven percent of the country's working population,
according to the 2012 International Migration Outlook report published
by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD).
According to the global body's report, 960,000 temporary labor
migrants came to Russia in 2010, more than twice as many as those
entering the United States.
Russia has recently introduced new rules requiring foreign workers in
certain trades to show a minimum knowledge of the Russian language.
MOSCOW, May 16 (RIA Novosti) - The Moscow Region acting governor has
called for introduction of a visa regime for citizens of the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) travelling to Russia, in
response to the rising number of illegal migrants in the region.
`At least 20 percent of the population in the Moscow Region are
migrants,' acting Governor Andrei Vorobyov said. `If we fail to
regulate this process it will go astray.'
Vorobyov said he supports President Vladimir Putin's initiative to
introduce visas for residents of the member states of the CIS, which
consists of former Soviet republics.
In his State of the Nation address in December, Putin called for an
end to the practice of allowing citizens from post-Soviet republics to
enter Russian territory on their national (internal) passports by no
later than 2015.
The issue is a thorny one for the Russian government, which has to
balance public disquiet over immigration with the economic necessity
of bringing in labor to make up for Russia's shrinking working age
population.
Most former Soviet republics, including Russia, retain the internal
passport, which in the Soviet Union served as an ID card, a record of
place of residence and other important information.
Under existing agreements, Russia allows visa-free entrance to
national passport holders from the CIS countries, including
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova,
Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
Russia has the world's largest number of illegal migrants, accounting
for almost seven percent of the country's working population,
according to the 2012 International Migration Outlook report published
by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD).
According to the global body's report, 960,000 temporary labor
migrants came to Russia in 2010, more than twice as many as those
entering the United States.
Russia has recently introduced new rules requiring foreign workers in
certain trades to show a minimum knowledge of the Russian language.