MOSCOW, September 29. /ITAR-TASS/. Some 3,500 refugees from Ukraine’s war-torn south-east apply for temporary asylum in Russia daily, the head of the Russian Federal Migration Service (FMS) told ITAR-TASS on Monday.
“More than 190,000 citizens of that country have appealed to Russia for temporary asylum during tragic events in the south-east of Ukraine,” Konstantin Romodanovsky said. He said the figure of some 3,500 daily applications for temporary asylum has been consistent for a past month.
Romodanovsky said Russia would continue accepting all those asking for refuge. “A refusal to accept an application for the status of refugee or temporary asylum is impossible in principle in accordance with the Russian legislation,” he said.
The FMS head also said some 20,000 Ukrainian citizens crossing into Russia since the conflict in Ukraine's south-east began, have been put on the state program for the resettlement of compatriots. “Fifty-three Russian regions participate in the resettlement program, providing the arriving people with jobs and housing,” he said. He said simplified procedures for getting Russian citizenship were envisaged for participants in the state program.
Clashes between troops loyal to Kiev and local militias in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics have killed hundreds of civilians, brought destruction and forced hundreds of thousands to flee the area.