21 August 2003, 13:27
"Round table" on problems of refugees and forced migrants was held in State Duma
The problems of refugees and forced migrants from the former USSR republics were discussed at the ?round table? in the State Duma on Wednesday.
Experts from profile ministries and departments, representatives of public organizations, scientific and cultural activists took part in the meeting.
According to the data of the State Committee on Statistics, given at the meeting, there are about half a million refugees and forced migrants presently living in Russia. Most of them (nearly 43%) are former residents of Kazakhstan.
It is mentioned in the summary of the State Committee of Statistics that forced migrants are settling in all regions of Russia, but the most popular place for settlement is North Osetia ? 31 thousand refugees have chosen it as their new residence. The second place belongs to Ingushetia (28 thousand forced migrants have settled here), the Orenburg region is on the third place (23 thousand people).
The migration growth of population has decreased by 16.7 thousand people versus the first quarter of the last year.
The participants of the meeting admitted the necessity of developing normative and legal base in order to maintain voluntary migration of ethnical Russians to the Russian Federation.
Source: RIA Novosti
