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Russian parliament to consider toughening entry for foreigners with criminal records

According to the Russian Federal Migration Service, the overall number of foreigners staying in Russia reached 11 million by late 2013

MOSCOW, November 7. /TASS/. Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has drafted a bill tightening entry rules for foreigners who committed crimes or administrative offences on the territory of Russia, the Izvestia newspaper reported on Friday.

The bill, initiated by a deputy head of A Just Russia faction, Oleg Nilov, proposes a lifelong entry ban for foreigners convicted of especially grave crimes, according to the newspaper.

The lifelong entry ban could be introduced for foreigners formerly convicted of drug trafficking, sex crimes and crimes against sexual freedom, abduction, fraud, assault, extortion, blackmail as well as crimes against national security.

Foreigners who served jail terms for other crimes could be banned from entering Russia for 10 years.

According to the Russian Federal Migration Service, the overall number of foreigners staying in Russia reached 11 million by late 2013, with most of them working in the country's capital Moscow.

In September, Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev said that citizens of former Soviet states account for most of the crimes committed on the territory of Russia.