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Grace period for Tajik migrants afoot in Russia

MOSCOW, December 19 (Itar-Tass) - The committee on CIS affairs, European integration and ties with compatriots have recommended the lower house, the State Duma, to ratify Russian-Tajik agreement regulating Tajik citizens’ presence in Russia, signed in Moscow on February 8, 2013. The document is to be considered on December 20.

According to the deputy head of the Federal Migration Service, Yelena Radochina, the main subject matter of the accords is the clause increasing the deadline for Tajik citizens to have themselves registered at the migration service from 7 days to 15.

“This is a milder regimen for law-abiding Tajik citizens on sojourn in Russia,” she said, adding that as of December 18, about 1.3 million Tajik citizens came to Russia, plus 15 percent year-on-year, but only about 900,000 were registered with the migration service.

By the rate of migration to Russia Tajikistan ranks fourth after Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, while by the number of labour migrants it is among the top three countries, second after Uzbekistan, Radochina said.

The head of the commission, Leonid Slutsky, said the ratification would have a beneficial effect on interstate Russian-Tajik cooperation.

“This is a stage of the two countries’ convergence. Tajikistan has expressed interest in the Eurasian project. A road map for joining Eurasian construction may be drawn up next year,” he said.

Slutsky added next year the State Duma would ratify another migration deal with Tajikistan due to increase residence permits for Tajik citizens to three years. The government is yet to submit the document to the State Duma, he added.

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