Rustam Minnikhanov takes part in a meeting of the Council by the Russian Presidential Envoy in the Volga Federal District

On March 23, in the Kazan City Hall, the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov together with the Heads of all regions of the Volga Federal District took part in a meeting of the Council by the Russian Presidential Envoy in the Volga Federal District Igor Komarov, which discussed the implementation of the state migration policy and socio-cultural adaptation of migrants in the regions of the district.

Before the meeting, the guests got acquainted with the collection of traditional costumes of the Kazan Volga region, and also visited the exhibition dedicated to the famous Tatarstan residents - Heroes of the Soviet Union Musa Jalil and Mikhail Devyatayev.

In his welcoming speech, Komarov emphasized that in 2024, foreign citizens registered for migration purposes in the Volga Federal District regions more than 1.5 million times. Including almost 40% were for renewal. In recent years, the share of the Volga Federal District in migration registration in Russia has increased from 8% to 10%. Today, there are more than 500,000 foreign citizens in the Volga Federal District.

According to Russian Presidential Envoy in the Volga Federal District, since 2019, almost 950,000 patents have been issued in the regions of the district. This allowed the budgets of the regions of the Volga Federal District to receive more than 34 billion roubles during this time. In 2023 and 2024, revenues exceeded 9 billion roubles. Academic migration is gaining momentum. In the current academic year, about 82 thousand foreign citizens are studying at universities in the regions of the District. The Plenipotentiary Envoy pointed out that every fifth foreign student in Russia studies at universities in the Volga Federal District.

He also emphasized that a number of measures have already been implemented at the federal level to improve the efficiency of the state migration policy.

Rustam Minnikhanov noted that a number of enterprises in the republic have developed good practices for the socialization and adaptation of the guest labour force.

We need mechanisms that allow migrants to adapt and obtain good qualifications. KAMAZ and the Alabuga SEZ have gained good experience - these are targeted recruitments, selection and training of personnel, and further socialization of foreign citizens. In this matter, we closely cooperate with the leadership of friendly countries. This systematic work will be continued," the Rais of Tatarstan emphasized.

First Deputy Interior Minister Aleksander Gorovoy said that last year migration policy was focused on qualitative changes. The majority, about 90 per cent of foreign citizens, are now in the country legally.

As of 1 March this year, there were 6.7 million foreign citizens in the country. The increase amounted to 7.3 per cent.

He also said that according to the labour employment notifications received from employers, 332,000 foreigners are employed in the Volga Federal District.