Russia bars entry to nearly 200,000 foreigners

Russia’s Interior Ministry has barred nearly 200,000 foreign nationals from entering the country after they violated Russian legislation, said Andrei Kikot, First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs– Head of the ministry's Service for Issues of Citizenship and Registration of Foreign Citizens.

Kikot disclosed the figure during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“As part of preventive measures, our agencies have barred entry to approximately 200,000 — to be precise, 197,000 — foreigners who committed violations and broke the law here. We have restricted their entry for a certain period of time,” Kikot said.

He added that the restrictions are part of measures aimed at strengthening oversight of compliance with Russia’s migration legislation.

By Vafa Guliyeva