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Migrants in Russia not adapted to life in country, migration official claims

Older generation - born in the 1960s - 1970s practically have no adaptation problem, whereas younger generations in search of employment are poorly adapted to the life here

MOSCOW, November 20, 18:23 /ITAR-TASS/. Director of Russia's Federal Migration Service Konstantin Romodanovsky said migrants living in the country are practically not adapted to life in Russia.

"There are more than 11.1 million foreigners living in Russia at present; of those three quarters enjoy the right of visa-free travel," Romodanovsky told "a round table" discussion on Wednesday which addressed the role of civil society institutions in implementing the concept of the state migration policy in the period until 2025.

A younger generation of migrants coming to Russia in search of employment are poorly adapted to the life in this country. "Whereas the older generation - born in the 1960s - 1970s practically have no adaptation problems, the younger arrivals - who make up 30 to 40 percent of all visitors - can hardly speak Russian and have no profession. They just wish to have a job in Russia, but just being a good guy is not a profession, Romodanovsky said.

Many do not know Russian cultural traditions and norms, which leads to serious consequences, where migrants’ rights are violated, a shadow labor market is formed, the migration sphere is criminalized and various ethnic conflicts break out, the FMS director said.