MOSCOW, November 13. /TASS/. The Russian Interior Ministry has seen an almost 50% drop in the number of people being issued Russian citizenship since the beginning of this year, Ministry Spokeswoman Irina Volk said.

"The number of people granted Russian citizenship has decreased by 44.5%, largely due to the recognition of residents of the newly established regions of Russia as Russian citizens under Federal constitutional laws, as well as tightened controls in this area," Volk said.

According to the spokeswoman, police are also clamping down on groups and individuals that help bring people into the country illegally, leading to a 2.5-fold increase in the detection and preliminary investigation of such crimes.

"Positive dynamics are also being seen in the detection and investigation of crimes related to the fake registration of foreign citizens and individuals without citizenship," the spokeswoman added.