Leningrad Region Making Serious Efforts to Integrate Migrants Into Society

The government of the Leningrad Region is making serious efforts to integrate migrants into society, Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenko said.

“The Leningrad Region is among the top five Russian regions in terms of attractiveness for labour migration. Every year, 150,000 people come to the region to work. And we are engaged in serious work to integrate them into society”, the governor said in his speech at the 41st Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (CoE) in Strasbourg, as quoted by the press service of the regional administration.

Drozdenko noted that foreigners have to obtain a special work patent, which requires not only language skills, but also certain knowledge of history and local culture. Furthermore, work with migrants takes into account whether they have relatives residing in the region, whether they intend to obtain a residence permit or citizenship of the Russian Federation, and whether they have high professional competencies.

“We have developed the special application ‘Welcome to the Leningrad Region!’ that provides migrants with the information they need. We also pay special attention to the socialisation of children of primary and secondary school age. It is all paying off”, the governor said.

The governor of the Leningrad Region urged the participants of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (CoE) to actively exchange experience, focusing on practical results, including successful projects already implemented in the field.