"The large-scale influx of labor migrants from other states also carries serious risks of an increase in crime, the emergence of conflicts on ethnic and religious grounds, mass riots, and contributes to an increase in tension among the indigenous population," TASS quoted him as saying.
Patrushev made the corresponding statement during a speech at a meeting on topical issues of national security in the regions of the Central Federal District.
Earlier, Patrushev said that law enforcement agencies have revealed numerous facts of the participation of foreign labor migrants in the transportation and distribution of drugs in Central Russia.
In October, URA.RU reported that the president of the All-Russian public organization "Federation of Migrants of Russia" Vadim Kozhenov said that almost 300 thousand migrants expelled from Russia for various offenses would be able to return to the country.
At the end of September, the head of the Main Directorate for Migration Issues of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Valentina Kazakova, said that they were trying to criminalize the image of a migrant in Russia in order to generate hostility towards foreigners in Russian society.