Kremlin spokesman says Russia needs migrant workers amid ‘strained demographic situation’
Russia needs migrant workers to sustain its development and address the pressures of a shrinking population, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
“Migrants are a necessity. The fact is, we are facing a very strained demographic situation. We live in the largest country in the world, but there are very few of us,” Peskov said, adding that Russia “only welcomes” migrant workers.
“Migrants are not the problem — the problem is illegal migrants,” he continued, noting that authorities plan to intensify efforts to combat illegal migration, which he argued fosters conditions for “religious extremism” and “drug abuse.”
Following the March 2024 terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, allegedly carried out by Tajikistani citizens, the Russian government introduced stricter measures on migrants’ rights. Several bills to increase penalties for illegal migration have been submitted to the State Duma.
Meanwhile, surveys indicate that more than half of Russian companies employing migrants are already struggling with labor shortages.
