MOSCOW: Russia would welcome Indian labour migration to Siberia and other regions suffering from growing depopulation, a senior Russian migration official said here.

"We have no objection to labour migration from India to Siberia and the Far East," Deputy Director of the Federal Migration Service Vyacheslav Postavnin said at a meeting with Indian businessmen working in Russia.

The official was responding to a suggestion that Russia could encourage labour migration from India as an alternative to the much-feared onslaught of Chinese migrants across the border to Siberia and the Far East. There are currently a few thousand Indians living in Russia, compared with hundreds of thousands of Chinese immigrants.

Earlier this month the Russian Parliament approved in first reading two bills aimed at liberalising Russia's migration policy in an effort to compensate for the rapid population decline in Russia, which totalled nine million in the past decade.

"The purpose of these bills is to remove bureaucratic hurdles to the immigration process," Mr. Postavnin said.

The new legislation will significantly ease the registration process for foreigners arriving in Russia by allowing them to register their residency by mail instead of going through the hassle of applying for and obtaining registration documents.

Under the new rules foreigners will be allowed to stay in Russia for six months instead of three months today, and can extend their stay without having to leave the country.

Foreign businessmen and employees will be granted three-year work permits that will be subject to renewal on an annual basis.

Replying to numerous complaints from Indian businessmen regarding problems in getting Russian visas, Mr. Postavnin cited a high rate of illegal migration from India to Russia as an obstacle to simplifying visa procedures.

"Every year about 50,000 Indians enter Russia, but just over 2,000 obtain work permits," he said.

According to the Federal Migration Service, about 10 million migrant workers, mostly from former Soviet Republics, stay in Russia illegally, resulting in economic losses totalling $7 billion.

Russia has said it will sign a new visa accord with India on condition the latter agrees to conclude a bilateral readmission pact.

The deputy head of the Federal Migration Service offered to work closely with the Indian Business Association in Russia to resolve problems faced by Indian businessmen and employees in this country.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail