State Duma Ratified Amendments to Russian-Belarusian Agreement on Uniform Migration Card

On April 26th the State Duma of the Russian Federation unanimously ratified the Protocol on Amendments to the Russian-Belarusian intergovernmental agreement on a uniform migration card. The protocol had been drawn up by the Belarusian party.

On April 26th the State Duma of the Russian Federation unanimously ratified the Protocol on Amendments to the Russian-Belarusian intergovernmental agreement on a uniform migration card. The protocol had been drawn up by the Belarusian party.

The protocol was signed in Moscow on November 25th, 2011. When submitting the document for ratification, First Deputy Head of the Russian Federal Migration Service E.Egorova noted that the protocol had been worked out by the Belarusian party taking into account the new system of border control designed to keep automated account of people crossing the state border of Belarus.

Introduction of the changes specified in the Protocol will free foreign citizens, temporarily or permanently residing in Belarus, from completing and showing their migration card when they enter and leave the territory of Belarus.

During the discussion of the document, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs and Relations with Compatriots T.Moskalkova expressed hope that the Russian party would create the same high-powered automated border system as in Belarus which would facilitate migration control.