Kremlin Says Migrants Essential to Counter Russia’s Labor Shortage

Russia needs migrants to address its declining domestic workforce, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview published by state media on Friday.

“Migrants are a necessity,” Peskov told the state-run news agency RIA Novosti, citing Russia’s “tense demographic situation.”

“We live in the largest country in the world, but there aren’t that many of us,” he said, adding that labor migration is vital for economic development.

Anti-migrant sentiment is widespread in Russia, particularly against laborers from Central Asia, who fill crucial roles in sectors like construction and agriculture.
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