Citizens of the CIS countries who come to work in Russia must know the Russian language in order to adapt and understand the rules established on the territory of the Russian Federation.
This was stated by President Vladimir Putin at a meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of State.
“We all well understand and know how many labor migrants from the Commonwealth countries work in Russia.
It is important for both you and us that people adapt and easily enter normal life in Russia.
At least you need to know Russian.
You need to understand what Russia is, what the culture of Russia, the relationship between the peoples of Russia and the former Soviet Union, in order to integrate and not only earn money, but also live a full life in our country, ”Putin said.
The Russian leader also recalled that during last year's summit, it was decided to hold the Year of the Russian language as a language of interethnic communication in the Commonwealth countries in 2023.
“We consider the measures envisaged by its program aimed at supporting, preserving and raising the status of the Russian language, and popularizing Russian culture very useful.
We are confident that all this will contribute to the spiritual and cultural mutual enrichment of the countries - members of the Commonwealth, ”he stressed.
The CIS countries, as Putin noted, are connected by a lot: a common history, spiritual roots, deep intertwining of cultures, customs, traditions, as well as the Russian language.
In this regard, he thanked the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, who earlier during the meeting drew attention to the international role of the Russian language.
The Russian leader added that the Russian language is a “unifying force” that “holds together a single civilizational space on the territory of the CIS”.
Vladimir Putin spoke about the importance of knowing the Russian language for labor migrants
Returning to the topic of migrants, Vladimir Putin pointed out that access to highly qualified labor resources, improving the vocational education system, as well as creating favorable conditions for citizens of the CIS countries working in other states of the Commonwealth is of key importance for the implementation of projects in various sectors.
“That is why Russia has put forward the idea of adoption by the CIS member states following the results of this meeting of a joint statement on the development of interaction in the field of migration.
This statement aims our countries to step up work to harmonize the legal framework in the field of labor legislation, train labor migrants, and develop digital platforms to optimize employment processes.
This is important for everyone, ”the Russian president explained.
The situation with migrants in Russia
In March 2020, Vladimir Putin ordered a reform of migration regimes and the institution of citizenship.
The President, in particular, noted that the current migration rules "are not clear and unified enough."
At the same time, migrants, including labor migrants, “often try to get around existing difficulties” and go “into the shadows”.
In addition, according to him, there are situations when people who want to become full members of Russian society face problems in obtaining Russian citizenship.
The head of state also called for a residence permit in Russia to be made the main status, after which a foreigner can apply for Russian citizenship.
In his opinion, the procedure for issuing temporary residence permits has "outlived its usefulness."
In December 2020, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that there are about 6.3 million migrants on the territory of the Russian Federation.
Against the backdrop of the pandemic, their number decreased from 9-11 million. At the same time, 1.3 million foreign citizens work in Russia on the basis of patents, while 85 thousand have work permits.
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© Maxim Blinov
In July 2021, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in connection with “the need for an integrated and systematic approach to improving the regulatory legal regulation in the migration sphere”, presented a draft law that will change the rules for the entry and stay of foreigners in Russia.
Among the innovations is the establishment of three migration regimes for foreigners' stay in the Russian Federation: short-term (no more than 90 days in total during a calendar year), long-term (more than 90 days in total during a calendar year without obtaining a permanent residence permit), indefinite (permanent residence).