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Over 270 thousand foreigners enter Russia this year — Federal Migration Service

As for Ukrainian citizens, they will continue entering Russia on internal passports because of the current situation in Ukraine, the FMS spokesperson says

MOSCOW, January 12 /TASS/. More than 270,000 foreigners, including one third for work, have entered Russia since the start of 2015, the press service of the Russian Federal Migration Service (FMS) told TASS on Monday.

“It is a 70% drop on the same period last year. 23% of foreigners who have entered Russia on migration cards marked employment as the main purpose of entry,” the FMS explained.

Information on every foreigner who enters Russia is registered in the FMS information system.

The Russian Federal Migration Service told TASS on Monday that Ukrainian nationals would continue entering Russia on internal passports because of the current situation in Ukraine.

“The migration rules for those who were forced to leave south-eastern Ukraine and came to Russia seeking a refugee status or temporary shelter will remain unchanged. These people are running away from destruction and hunger. It’s a humanitarian disaster. We should help these people,” Zalina Kornilova, an official spokesperson for the Russian Federal Migration Service (FMS), said adding the Ukrainians would not need passports to cross the border with Russia.

In his previous interview with the Rossiyskaya Gazeta daily, FMS Chief Konstantin Romodanovsky said that the citizens of most CIS countries would be able to enter Russia only on foreign passports in 2015.