Shuvalov: economic situation in Russia is difficult, there is no influx of guest workers to Russia

Russian Migrant Workers file photo

MOSCOW. Feb 26 (Interfax) – Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said there is no big influx of foreign labor migrants to Russia amid the economic problems.

“We need to understand that the economic situation in the country is very difficult. Migrants are not so active now as they were when our national currency was rather strong,” Shuvalov said at the Federal Migration Service collegium meeting on Friday.

“The situation is not so acute because there is currently no influx of labor migrants as such,” he said.

Shuvalov said the Russian government is satisfied with the way the Federal Migration Service is working.

“It’s the government’s opinion. Before saying this here, I discussed the issue with Prime Minister, Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev. We believe that the Federal Migration Service is doing its job well,” Shuvalov said.

“Complex tasks such as issuing passports to residents of Crimea were fulfilled successfully, and in a timely manner. The new legislation on patents is also being fulfilled. We see that the legislation has started working in difficult regions such as the Moscow region,” he said.

“The appearance of the Federal Migration Service changes with time. We see that the service is now working more clearly, more honestly, there are fewer raids and all other things associated with the construction industry and illegal migrants, all these things now look totally different,” Shuvalov said.

[featured image is file photo from earlier year]

Comment