The inflow of migrants to Russia is growing, last year it was a third more than in 2020, Russian Security Council (SB) Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said at a meeting on additional measures for the integration and adaptation of migrants in Russian society.
"The inflow of migrants is growing now, especially after the recession of anti-epidemic measures in a number of countries, and in 2021 it was a third more than in 2020. Several million foreign citizens come to us every year," Medvedev said, noting that these are mostly people from Russia's neighboring countries.
"According to the data from the Interior Ministry, today, the number of the largest diasporas in Russia ranges from one to five million people," he added. These are mainly people from Central Asia, a group "very heterogeneous, with its own specifics, often in conflict," said the deputy chairman of the Security Council.
Medvedev pointed out that there is a risk of forming ethnic enclaves in places of compact residence of migrants. "This is a global problem, and it is also present in our country in full. [The problem of the formation of] a kind of such small states in a state that live by their own laws and concepts and, most importantly, ignore our laws," he continued. According to the deputy chairman of the Security Council, without proper control, they can and do become "hotbeds of extremist and terrorist sentiments and hotbeds of crime.
He also pointed out that relations between the inhabitants of such areas and local residents are very wary, often hostile. "Literally insignificant occasions, a match, as they call it, are enough to cause an outburst of irritation," Medvedev said.
In this regard, he called for increased monitoring of the situation in such residential areas and settlements, and preventive work, including with formal and informal leaders of these diasporas. "Today's measures, it is obvious, are absolutely not enough, clashes occur every day," the politician stressed. In general, he stated the importance of issues of integration and adaptation of migrants in Russian society. "There are economic, legal, financial, and very complex socio-cultural problems associated with this. Undoubtedly we must concentrate on this topic, because it causes tension in the society and resonance," he concluded.
The interests of Russians and national security
The interests of its citizens and national security remain the priority of the Russian Federation, although comfortable conditions should be created for foreigners in Russia, Medvedev said.
"Any move to a new place is always a problem for a person, it is felt even by those who change the region of residence, especially when a person goes to another country, so the processes of adaptation of migrants should be comfortable and safe for them and for the host, that is, for the Russian society as a whole," he pointed out.
"There is no doubt that we are interested in giving foreigners the opportunity to work legally in Russia, receive education and medical care and bring up their children, but I would like to emphasize that our national security, our state, and well-being and comfort of our people remain our priorities," underlined the deputy chairman of the Security Council.
Medvedev's medical examination
According to Medvedev medical examination of foreigners entering Russia for a long period of time should become obligatory. "In today's epidemiological situation issues of medical examination of foreigners, who enter our country for quite a long period, are of particular importance. It is important that they are not a source of infectious and socially dangerous diseases", he pointed out.
In addition, Medvedev continued, the approach to different categories of migrants should be flexible and differentiated because in one case we are talking about highly qualified specialists and in another - about people without qualifications. "Here, too, there is something to think about. We need to analyze the situation and make these procedures comfortable, reasonable, but certainly universally binding. They should apply to everyone, even if the procedures are different for certain categories," stressed the deputy head of the Security Council.
According to him, the experience of foreign countries should be taken into account in this work. Medvedev reminded that earlier Russia adopted a federal law that sets new rules for mandatory medical examinations for certain categories of migrants.
Situation in the regions
Medvedev criticized municipal and regional authorities of Russia for the lack of information about migration flows on their territories.
"The problem of the authorities is that municipal administrations often do not have information about migration flows on their territory, like it is not our task, let the law enforcement agencies or some other federal or at least regional structures deal with it, and they are simply eliminated from their tasks, do not interact with the internal affairs and controlling structures," Medvedev said. He stressed that local authorities "do not know the mood within the diasporas, do not have contacts with their leaders, because it is often not a very pleasant business, they do not pay enough attention to all these issues."
"But it's not just the municipal authorities. And the regional authorities, unfortunately, in this sense, too, are not a role model, at least in some regions," the deputy chairman of the SB stated.
"Medvedev continued: "When something happens there, various publications on this topic start appearing and the Internet starts exploding, and it is as if the regional authorities had nothing to do with it.
"Medvedev continued: "One third of Russian regions have not even developed such programs and there are no funds for this purpose in the budget, while hundreds of thousands of such people live there.
The deputy chairman of the Security Council pointed out that this work should be carried out "both at the municipal and regional level in coordination with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Security Service." "But the signals should come from regional and municipal authorities," Medvedev added.
On the SB commission on migration policy
Medvedev recalled that earlier President Vladimir Putin had signed a decree on the formation of an interdepartmental commission of the Security Council on the improvement of state migration policy. According to that decree, the new committee would be chaired by the deputy chairman of the Security Council.
The politician noticed that such work is already being done and there is a concept of migration policy of Russia until the year 2025. "I hope that the creation of the commission will provide additional management tools for more effective achievement of the goals, set by the head of the state," Medvedev summarized.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Federation Council
Based on materials from TASS