Igor Komarov: ‘The deficit in the labour market is partially compensated for by foreign workers’
Almost 70% of residents of the Volga Federal District are in favour of restricting the entry of migrants into Russia
“Almost 950,000 patents have been issued to foreign workers in the Volga Federal District regions since 2019. This allowed the regional budgets to receive more than 34 billion rubles,” said Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Volga Federal District Igor Komarov at a meeting on the execution of state migration policy and the socio-cultural adaptation of migrants, which took place in the Kazan City Hall.
In total, there are more than 500,000 foreign citizens in the Volga Federal District, they have registered for migration more than 1.5 million times (Russia — 15.6 million), of which almost 40% — by way of extension. The Volga Federal District accounts for 10% of registered foreign citizens registered for migration purposes in Russia.
“We see that migration flows have a significant impact on the economic development of all regions of our district. By attracting foreign workers, we can partially compensate for the deficit in the labour market,” said Komarov.
Academic migration is gaining momentum. According to Igor Komarov, this year about 82,000 foreign citizens are studying at universities in the district regions, or every fifth foreign student in Russia. Within the framework of the federal program for the resettlement of compatriots, 131,000 people arrived in the Volga Federal District, or 11.4% of the total number of people who arrived in the Russian Federation. Since the summer of 2024, the opportunity to obtain a temporary residence permit in Russia has been provided to citizens of unfriendly countries
(47 states) that share traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.
However, criminal activity and antisocial behaviour of foreign citizens are the reason for a negative attitude towards them from local residents. And although the number of crimes among migrants is decreasing, Russian citizens do not welcome the increasing influx of foreigners. 68.5% of respondents in the regions of the Volga Federal District are in favour of restricting the entry of migrants into the Russian Federation.
“In December 2024, the share of respondents with a positive attitude towards migrants in the regions of the district was 11.3% (Russia — 12.4%), negative — 28.5% (Russia — 30.4%),” said Igor Komarov. “68.5% of respondents in the regions of the Volga Federal District are in favour of restricting the entry of migrants into Russia (in Russia — 71.5%). In some regions of the district, these values exceed 80% — this is in the Samara Region (85.3%), in the Kirov Region — 82.3%, in the Republic of Mordovia — 79.2%.”
“Over the past five years, almost 130 conflict situations involving migrants have been noted in the regions of the Volga Federal District, which have received information resonance (according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia). This creates the preconditions for tension and conflicts on ethnic grounds and during a special military operation it can become one of the significant risks in the socio-political sphere, especially in the context of aggressive information pressure and manipulation by Russia's opponents,” noted Igor Komarov.
