The meeting of the Coordinating Council on Border Policy

The meeting of the Coordinating Council on Border Policy at the Administration of Smolensk region considered the issues of effective cooperation between the law enforcement agencies, executive authorities of the region and local authorities of the bordering municipalities to regulate migration processes, as well as to detect and prevent illegal migration.

The Head of the Control and Interaction with the Administrative Authorities Department of Smolensk region Oksana Loboda, heads and representatives of other executive bodies, of the Regional Office of the Federal Migration Service of Russia, of the Border Directorate of Federal Security Service of Russia in Smolensk region and of the district administrations took part in the meeting.

The length of the state border of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus (the Vitebsk and Mogilev regions) along the territory of Smolensk region is 514 kilometers. In this regard, illegal migration has a characteristic feature for our region – foreigners try to use vehicles and passenger trains coming from Belarus in the direction of Moscow to enter the territory of Russia illegally. In January-September of the current year the officials of the Federal Migration Service, the Directorate of the Interior Ministry, the Boarder Directorate of the Federal Security Service and The Directorate of the Federal Security Service of Russia in Smolensk region conducted 167 (the same period last year - 140) preventive operations on the roads “Moscow – Minsk” and “Moscow – Ivantsevichy”. The linear Departments of the Internal Affairs at the Smolensk and Vyazma stations in collaboration with the divisions of the Federal Security Service conducted over 40 operative and preventive actions on the railways. For illegal crossing of the state border of the Russian Federation 234 (the same period last year - 218) criminal actions were brought against citizens of the foreign countries.

In order to improve the interaction, to make it as systemic as possible at the municipalities in the bordering districts of Smolensk region, interagency groups have been set up and have been working successfully together with the law enforcement agencies. The cooperation with local authorities, including the administrations of the rural settlements, to exchange the operative information related to foreign offenders, has been carried out on an ongoing basis. For the reporting period, 148 (the same period last year - 124) foreigners were departed from the Russian Federation.

The participants of the meeting made a number of decisions to further improve the efficiency of the joint work of the law enforcement agencies and government authorities on clear regulation of migration processes in the interests of Russia. Also, the Coordinating Council on Border Policy at the Administration of Smolensk region approved its work plan for 2015.