MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/. Russia is succeeding in its crackdown on illegal immigrants staying in the country, Russian Security Council Deputy Secretary Alexander Grebenkin said in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

"Administrative measures have become more effective. In particular, over the past 2.5 years, around 7.2 million reports of administrative offenses have been filed against foreign citizens," Grebenkin noted.

"The number of decisions to expel individuals from the country and deny them entry increased by an average of almost a third, while the number of decisions to reduce the term of temporary stay rose by 25.3%. This year, the number of foreign citizens who evaded departure from Russia - about 246,000 - and were subsequently identified and brought to justice increased 2.3 times compared to last year. As a result of these comprehensive measures, the number of foreign citizens illegally staying in Russia has decreased more than threefold over the past five years," he added.