Russian media outlets report that Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded to pay more attention to the theme of social and cultural adaptation of migrants who arrive in the country, and called for the creation of special Federal body that would deal with this issue.

Tass reports that Putin said that at a meeting of the Council for Interethnic Relations on October 31.

Russian president, in particular, noted that currently the sphere of state activity in the field of social and cultural adaptation of migrants was not provided with adequate legal regulations and organizational and economic instruments.

“We need to create the Federal Agency responsible for this area,” he said, noting that that requires experts who “would work with foreign nationals coming to live and work in Russia.”

According to Interfax, Putin also noted that the government needs to support non-profit organizations who are engaged in international collaboration”, conservation and protection of culture, traditions, languages of the peoples of Russia, the social adaptation of migrants”.

“The services they [nonprofits] have not yet included in the list of public benefit, and therefore are not subject to the preferences that have socially oriented organizations.  And it can be a deterrent,” the president said.

Putin also noted that Russia would oppose the tendencies of stirring up interethnic conflicts.

In July, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev submitted to the State Duma (Russia’s lower house of parliament) a bill, which makes less stringent the procedure for the expulsion of migrants.  Amendments to the law will allow courts not to deport from Russia migrants with residence permit, a good reputation, work and income if they didn’t notify the authorities about their place of residence.