Over 12,000 foreigners expelled, deported from Russia in 2012 - Migration Service
MOSCOW. July 19 (Interfax) - Nearly 13,000 foreigners have been expelled and deported from Russia for violating migration laws in 2012, a Federal Migration Service spokesperson told Interfax.
"As many as 12,769 foreign citizens were expelled and deported in the first six months of 2012," he said.
Foreigners violating Russian law are expelled from the country under court rulings and are deported at the Federal Migration Service director's sanction.
Over 1.2 million administrative offences in the migration field were committed in Russia in the first six months of this year, he said.
"Over 3.7 million foreign citizens were registered with migration authorities and over 697,000 work permits and over 658,000 migration patents were issued in the said period, he said.
About 45,500 people were granted Russian citizenship or had their Russian citizenship restored in January-June 2012, he said.