Russia says it needs more migrants to help with its workforce shortage.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov shared this during an interview on Friday, saying the country cannot grow without foreign workers.
“Migrants are a necessity,” Peskov told state news agency RIA Novosti. He explained that Russia faces a serious population problem, even though it is the largest country in the world.
This week, Russia’s parliament passed a new law banning “child-free propaganda.” The law aims to encourage people to have children to address the population crisis. The problem has existed since Soviet times and has worsened due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
“We need a labour force in order to have dynamic development and carry out all our development projects,” Peskov said, adding that the government supports migration.
Despite this, some Russians often criticize migrants, especially those from Central Asian countries who work in key industries.
In July, the Kremlin called the low population numbers a “disaster” for the country’s future. Birth rates have dropped, Covid-19 deaths were high, and many men left Russia to avoid being sent to fight in Ukraine.
In 2023, the fertility rate was 1.41 births per woman, far below the 2.0 needed to maintain the population. Between January and September, only 920,200 babies were born—a 3.4% drop from last year. Russian media says this is the lowest birth rate since the 1990s.
The government has tried to offer financial help to families, but the population remains in decline.
