Amid the plummeting ruble and tightening migration legislation, more migrants are leaving Russia in search of better conditions in other countries. According to the president of the Federation of Migrants in Russia, Mohammed Madjumder, their overall number has gone down by 20-25 percent this year.
“Today, someone who makes between 10,000-15,000 rubles ($200-250) cannot send anything home after paying for food and shelter,” Madjumder told the Russian News Service radio station on Wednesday.
In addition to economic difficulties, many migrants also get deported or cannot enter Russia after being blacklisted by the Federal Migration Service (FMS), he said.
“Migrants don't sit at home. They go to Turkey and Europe. Everywhere they look for work, for means to live,” said Madjumder.
Since the beginning of this year, the Russian ruble has lost more than 40 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar.
According to the latest statistics, released by the FMS in August, 10,986,721 foreign citizens currently live in Russia, down from 11,458,111 one year ago. This represents a decline of 4 percent.
At the same time, only 141,286 work permits were issued by the FMS, down from 784,107 one year ago, which represents a decline of 82 percent.
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