Russian Migration Chief Says Country Needs 300,000 Migrants Annually

Konstantin Romodanovsky

The head of Russia's Federal Migration Service says the country will need some 300,000 migrant workers per year to offset the loss of some 10 million workers from the Russian labor force by 2025.

Konstantin Romodanovsky cited a long-term prognosis prepared by the Economic Development Ministry that showed Russia's total population would decrease, while the number of elderly people would increase by some 10 percent, by 2025.

Romodanovsky said ideally the 300,000 people Russia needs to add to its workforce yearly should be people interested in obtaining Russian citizenship and residing permanently in the country.

Romodanovsky also cautioned that migrant laborers should respect Russian customs and not sit in public places "grilling shashlik and dancing the lezginka [a national dance in the Caucasus]."

Based on reporting by ITAR-TASS and Interfax