The Russian authorities are discussing the issue of setting up a new body that would be responsible for inter-ethnic and migration policy
Vedomosti reported this, citing five sources: three sources close to the presidential administration; and two sources close to the government.
It is assumed that the new agency will report directly to the president.
Currently, the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Emergencies Ministry, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Justice, as well as the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Foreign intelligence Service (SVR), Rosgvardiya (Russian Guard), Rosfinmonitoring (the Federal Service for Financial Monitoring), Rosrakhiv (Russian Archive), the Main Directorate of Special Programs (GUSP), President’s Administrative Office (UDP) and the Field Courier Service report directly to the president.
Some sources reportedly say the authorities are currently developing the issues related to the structure of the new agency.
However, its final format has not yet been determined, according to Vedomosti. It can be a ministry that will combine the powers that the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs and the Interior Ministry Main Directorate for Migration now have.
It is to be noted that migrants from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan make up a sizeable proportion of Russia's migrant labor population, particularly in the retail, transportation and construction sectors.
In 2023, 652,014 Tajik nationals, including 554,804 men and 97,210 women, traveled abroad seeking better employment opportunities, which is 123,564 people less than 2022 (in 2022, 775,578 Tajik labor migrants traveled abroad, primarily to Russia, but also to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan ).
Of those 652,014 Tajiks, who traveled abroad last year, 627,028 traveled to Russia, 18,418 others traveled to Kazakhstan and 6,568 people traveled to other countries.
