Kyrgyz-Russian naturalization agreement to be annulled
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 21 March 2012 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Kyrgyz-Russian naturalization agreement to be annulled, 21 March 2012, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4f717af1c.html [accessed 20 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
March 21, 2012
The head of the Russian Federal Migration Service (FMS) says the Russian government has approved a proposal to renounce an agreement with Kyrgyzstan on simplifying the naturalization of Kyrgyz citizens in Russia.
Konstantin Romodanovsky told journalists in Moscow on March 21 that the issue would be solved on the parliamentary level by the end of 2012.
The issue of Kyrgyz migrants was raised after Duma deputies were reportedly appalled when they could not hear Russian spoken at a Moscow market they had visited on a fact-finding mission.
The FMS subsequently initiated Russia's withdrawal from the agreement earlier this year, saying the number of Kyrgyz nationals working at Moscow's numerous outdoor markets is too high.
The naturalization agreement came into effect in 1997.
The exact number of Kyrgyz nationals who obtained Russian citizenship thanks to the arrangement is not known.
Hundreds of thousands of Central Asians are currently working in Russia as laborers.
With ITAR-TASS and Interfax reporting
