Russia's Federal Migration Service (FMS) will step up immigration control throughout the country as the issuing of work permits is becoming more lenient, first deputy FMS director Mikhail Tyurkin said on Tuesday.
"We are seriously tightening migration control in Russia," he said. "Once we have simplified the 'rules of the game' we are naturally setting higher demands on those who violate the law."
Earlier this month Russia adopted a law simplifying the entry procedure for highly skilled foreign specialists and their families to Russia.
Skilled foreign professionals may now obtain work permits, renew their temporary residence and receive entry permits for their families outside the job quotas established by the government.
FMS head Konstantin Romodanovsky previously said about 20,000 highly skilled foreign professionals and researchers come to Russia annually, while at least 46,000 are needed to implement ambitious modernization plans, especially in the much hyped hi-tech Skolkovo project near Moscow.
MOSCOW, December 21 (RIA Novosti)
