MOSCOW, August 06. /ITAR-TASS/. Migrant flow from Central Asia dropped almost 30% over 1.5 years, chief of the Federal Migration Service (FMS) Konstantin Romodanovksy said on Tuesday.

The number of exceeded duration of stay cases decreased by a quarter, while the number of legally employed foreigners grew 40%, the official added.

“We have stimulated foreign citizens to legalize their stay in Russia. Over six months of 2014, they received 1.5 million patents, thus contributing to the budget about 19 billion rubles ($526.3 million),” Romodanovsky said.

The measures taken to toughen punishment for violation of migration legislation were fruitful, he said.