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Special services must tighten control of migration flows, Putin says

"We see quite a few events that pose a threat to national security. That threat comes from militants infiltrating via other former Soviet republics," Putin said

MOSCOW, April 12. /TASS/. Strict control of migration flows within the framework of struggle against terrorism is a vital need and for this reason special services must work more effectively, because integration in the modern world cannot be reversed, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the inter-state television broadcaster MIR in an interview. He is certain that lawyers will find a way of cancelling the documents once used as a reason to grant Russian citizenship to those who are responsible for criminal activities.

"We see quite a few events that pose a threat to national security. That threat comes from militants infiltrating via other former Soviet republics," Putin said, adding that he was well aware of Russians’ concerns in that connection. "The modern world as it is, stopping migration is impossible," he said. "Establishing strict control of these migration flows is the issue of the day."

Putin explained that most migrants were coming to Russia to earn a living and to help their families. He recalled that the Eurasian Economic Union implied the free movement of labor, capital, services and goods.

"This is a great advantage for the development of our countries, a great advantage, indeed. In the modern world success or failure in the economy decides the future of regions," Putin said.

"Economic success is impossible without integration, which keeps the world going. Integration cannot be turned off in an instant for a number of objective reasons," Putin said. "Special services must work better and more effectively. At a time when economic processes are at stake we should never forget about our cooperation in the field of security," he added.

He replied to a proposal voiced by Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev for stripping those involved in criminal activities of the terrorist group Islamic State of their Kazakh citizenship.

"In accordance with the Russian Constitution we are not allowed strip anybody of our citizenship, but we can cancel the decisions that once served as the reason for granting Russian citizenship," Putin said. "We will hold consultations with our lawyers and I believe such decisions will follow in the near future," he added.