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Foreigners to be watched throughout their stay in Russia, minister says

According to the Interior Minister, international experience shows that the quality of migrants is a key factor

PENZA, July 12 (Itar-Tass) —— Foreigners should be watched throughout their stay in Russia, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev said in Penza where a new information system of the Federal Migration Service was presented ion Wednesday, July 11.

“Proper control and monitoring should be conducted throughout foreign citizens’ stay in Russia. They should understand their legal status, know their rights and fulfil their duties properly,” the minister said.

According to Kolokoltsev, international experience shows that the quality of migrants is a key factor. “Being law abiding for foreigners arriving in Russia is a key criterion for assessing them in terms of public security,” he said.

“They must not join the ranks of those who work illegally without social guarantees and who do not make payments to the budget. And having entered Russia for a limited period of time they must not think they can break the law for that reason,” Kolokoltsev said.

Otherwise, lawful measures will be taken against them immediately, he warned. “For the purpose of ensuring law and order, migration policy should use not only green but also yellow and red lights,” he added.

“Jointly [with the Federal Migration Service] we should put up a strong barrier against those who are associated with so-called ethnic organised criminal groupings and effectively protect not only our citizens but also law-abiding labour migrants from them,” the minister said.

He believes that the Interior Ministry and the Federal Migration Service “should not only organise information exchange but also make systematic in their joint work… the unity of our goals, methods and efforts is critical to the success of this important work”.