Epress.am News from Armenia
Russia should have stricter registration rules for internal migrants and introduce criminal responsibility for violation of migration laws, said Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, RIA Novosti reports.
Putin wrote an article, the presidential hopeful’s second publication as part of his election campaign, on modern problems of multiethnic Russia for the Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
Noting that migration to Russia has been actively underway in recent years, the premier said migrants should respect the customs and traditions of regions they come to live in, and that any aggressive or disrespectful behavior should be properly addressed by authorities.
“Anyone who comes to the region with other cultural and historical traditions must respect the local customs, the traditions of Russians and all other peoples of Russia. Any other inappropriate, aggressive, defiant, disrespectful conduct must be met with the appropriate legal, but harsh response, and firstly by law enforcement agencies, which now often simply do nothing,” he wrote
He said “registration regulations, as well as sanctions for their violations should be toughened” but that the constitutional rights of citizens to choose the place to live inside the country should not be infringed.
The premier proposed making exams in Russian, history and the basics of Russian law mandatory for migrants from 2013.
That, he said, will help them to adapt in society.