The head of the Russia Federal Migrant Service (RFMS) has promised to scrutinise a proposal to grant temporary residence cards for illegal immigrant workers who lost their jobs after the closure of the Cherkizovo market in Moscow.

The Itar-Tass news agency quoted the Chairman of the Committee for Relations between Nations of the Russian Institute for Social Studies, Nikolai Svanidze, as saying that the committee has sent a letter to the RFMS for granting temporary residence cards to illegal immigrant workers, considering them as an exception.

According to Svanidze, the granting of residence cards, but not prohibition immigrants’ entry, would be the sole solution for the issue related to immigrant workers in Russia.

He stressed that tightening the immigrants’ entry would lead to the increase of illegal immigrants to Russia.

The Cherkizovo market, one of Moscow ’s largest markets, has been closed for three months as from June 29 for checking hygienic conditions. The closure of the market leaves more than 100,000 people jobless, many of them being Vietnamese./.