Russia will implement changes to its migration policy by end of year due to security risks
From CNN's Katharina Krebs
The concept of Russia’s migration policy will be changed before the end of the year due to security risks, Russia’s Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said on Wednesday.
According to Patrushev, in light of new challenges and threats to the national security of Russia, “there is a need to clarify the priority tasks of state authorities in the field of migration.”
“Law enforcement agencies and special services have been tasked with identifying members of international terrorist and extremist organizations that use migration channels to commit terrorist acts and other crimes,” said Patrushev.
According to Patrushev, about 5 million residents of Donbas in eastern Ukraine and the southeastern Ukrainian regions of have arrived in Russia in recent years.
“As safe conditions are created in these regions, the state will provide comprehensive assistance to return them to their places of permanent residence,” he said.
On Wednesday, speaking to the members of the Russian Security Council, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for changes to the migration policy.
“This area is extremely sensitive for national security, for the stable development of Russia and our society. The situation in the world is changing dynamically, new global and regional issues are emerging that affect the migration sphere, and we need to promptly and effectively respond to these changes, improve our work based on a thorough analysis of new realities,” Putin said.