Mishustin promises swift measures to digitalize procedures for getting Russian citizenship, residence permits

MOSCOW. March 23 (Interfax) - The Russian government will promptly take measures to digitalize migration procedures as much as possible, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said.

"We will promptly take measures to digitalize procedures for obtaining citizenship, residence permits and employment documents as much as possible to make all processes more convenient for people," he said, delivering a government report in the State Duma.

Mishustin also said that a bill, which would determine the country's national migration policy, would be drafted.

In addition, proposals will be drawn up and presented to President Vladimir Putin to assess the needs of the country's regions for foreign specialists in various fields, the requirements for their expertise and educational level.

Putin recently tasked law enforcement agencies and the government with drawing up comprehensive proposals for the development of the migration policy by July 2023.

"I am asking colleagues from the government, the Security Council, the State Council, the Interior Ministry and other law enforcement agencies to jointly present comprehensive proposals on further development of migration policies. To definitely coordinate these issues with the regions and to definitely report by July 1, 2023," Putin said at a meeting of the Russian Interior Ministry board on March 20.

The president noted that it was also necessary to adjust administrative procedures associated with migration, "to maximally digitalize them, to make them comprehensible, clear, and accessible." "I mean the granting of citizenship, the issuance of residence permits, work permits and other documents," Putin said.

The president also said there is a need for "comprehensive assessment of the migration sphere." "To assess what specialists, in what regions and industries are in special demand, what competencies they need to have, what the requirements to their educational level and general culture are. There are many factors here, and they, of course, should all be taken into account," Putin said.