By 2003 the Number of Migrants in Russia Amounted to Approximately 3 Million People

Vyacheslav Mikhailov, chairman of the expert council on national, migration policy and interaction with religious associations under the Plenipotentiary representative of the Russian President in the Central Federal district stated that by 2003 the number of migrants in Russia amounted to approximately 3 million people, and migration flows annually reached the figure of 800,000 people.

He presented a report at the scientific and practical conference "Poliethnical resource of the Russian Statehood" which started its work on Monday in Moscow under the patronage of the Plenipotentiary representative of the Russian President in the Central Federal district.

Mikhailov stated that "migration was a significant and long-term factor of the Russian life which partially resolved demographic problems of society." According to this data, by 2016 the number of Russians would diminish by 7.5%, in the Central federal district - by 12%. Correspondingly, according to him, the number of able-bodied people would also diminish.

In this connection he describes as important necessity of "education in people of the notion of tolerance" towards representatives of other nationalities. The representative of the state power was of the opinion that the new road of the Russian statehood goes through national concord.