The Russian Government’s recent ratification of the immigrant worker agreement with Vietnam is suitable with the two sides’ socio-economic development goals, Vladimir Volokh, head of the Russian Federal Migration Service's Public Council, has said.

Speaking on the radio of the Voice of Russia, the official further said the agreement signed in 2008 will help officialise the immigration and put forth specific measures to accelerate the process.

He also noted that 100,000 Vietnamese workers worked in the former Soviet Union, mainly in Russia, in the 1980s.

Vietnamese workers made considerable contributions to the economy, he said, adding that this is a great potential Russia now needs to utilise in an open and legal manner.

He stressed that Russia must simplify its migration procedures as the country’s employment permit system is so complicated that a large number of immigrants are working illegally.

In reducing the number of illegally immigrant workers in Russia, the nation should offer more information on the field to help overseas workers better understand its immigration policies and regulations, the official said.

Russia’s agencies need to strictly investigate and detect the cases of illegal immigration and apply serious punishments on individuals and state agencies and officials involved in the illegal immigration activities, he said.-VNA