22:13, 6 January 2007

In 2006, Russia deported five thousand Azerbaijani and Georgian citizens each

Konstantin Romodanovskiy, Director of the Federal Migration Service (FMS) of Russia, has stated on air of the "Echo Moskvy" Radio Station that FMS had not undertaken any punitive measures in relation to Georgians when deporting illegal migrants from Russia, the RIA "Novosti" reports.

"By the totals of nine months of 2006, Russia had deported about 15 thousand Uzbeks and 15 thousand Tadjiks, and only 5 thousand Georgians, Kirghizs and Azerbaijanis each," Mr. Romodanovskiy has reported. In his words, during this period, the FMS had deported a total of about 100,000 persons.

It is worth noting, however, that according to the information of the Day.Az, Nazim Ibragimov, Chairman of the State Committee for Work with Azerbaijanis Living Abroad, reported that there were no Azerbaijani citizens among the deportees from Russia.