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About 200 mln roubles allocated for compatriots resettlement to Russia

MOSCOW, March 21. /ITAR-TASS/. This year, the Russian government has allocated 200 million roubles to assist the voluntary resettlement to the Russian Federation of compatriots living abroad, the Russian Ministry of Regional Development announced on Thursday.

“One of the recent innovations in allocating subsidies is the principle of encouraging those Russian regions exceeding performance targets,” Regional Development Minister Igor Slyunyaev said, adding that in the event that performance did not meet the standard by at least one percent, the level of subsidy would be reduced by a percentage equivalent to the unachieved performance.

The funds received would be distributed among the regions which succeeded in implementing the programme, he added. In 2014, these are 41 Russian regions which will be financed from the federal budget. According to official data, more than 36,800 compatriots arrived in Russia in 2013.

The National Program for Supporting Voluntary Migration of the Compatriots Residing Abroad to the Russian Federation, also legally known as the State Program for Assisting Compatriots Residing Abroad in their Voluntary Resettlement to the Russian Federation, was approved in 2006 and launched in January 2007. In 2012, the programme was modified and declared termless.

The program designates the areas in which new arrivals will live in Russia, providing them with some benefits on the condition that they stay in these regions for at least two years. For instance, the program is said to offer state-supported social and financial aid programs, such as a relocation fee and a moving allowance. Participants are given priority when obtaining a permit for temporary residence. Furthermore, returnees can work without special work permits, and, during their stay in Russia on temporary residence permits, they have the right to apply for permanent residence and citizenship.