Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, Grigory Karasin, says migrants have made considerable contribution to Russia’s economy.
“Migrants not only support their families sending money to their homelands but also make contribution to Russia’s economy. Objective presuppositions for cooperation and the necessity of seeking optimum mechanisms and methods of joint solution of acute problems have caused the ongoing processes of formation of a zone of free movement of commodities and services,” Karasin told RIA Novosti in an interview.
He further noted that introduction of visa regime would damage relations between the Russian Federation and Central Asia’s nations.
According to the Russian official statistical data, the number of migrants has decreased in Russia. The number of migrant workers from Moldova and Armenia is reportedly continuing to decrease, while the number of labor migrants from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan is increasing, however, it is less than it was before the crisis period.
Labor migrants are still a critical component in the economy of Tajikistan. Remittances keep many families at home above the poverty line.
