New factories, numerous building projects, brisk market, efficient agriculture are what foreigners who leave their native countries in search of work are attracted by in Bashkortostan. The global economic crisis dampened their enthusiasm. Number of vacant jobs has dropped down affecting foreign workforce presence in the region. In 2009, the number of work permits issued fell by 28% in comparison to 2008 figures. With consideration for the permits issued earlier, there are 11.5 thousand foreigners working on the territory of our republic now.
       Boris Guzairov, the head of the Department of the Federal Migration Service for Bashkortostan, has announced the results of the Department's work over the previous year. 4000 people fewer underwent migration registration in 2009 than in 2008, and 12 000 more people were struck of the register as compared with 2008. The migration quota that came to 4950 was 87.2 % exhausted in Bashkortostan. The volume of this quota for 2010 is reduced to 3000.
       On the whole, the alien population in Bashkortostan is about 29 thousand people which is by 9 thousand fewer than in 2008. The majority of those who left the republic did it of their own accord, and 838 people were expelled from the country under the court decision. This was the fate of persistent violators and criminals. In 2009, 67 thousand administrative protocols including those for violations of the entry and residency regulations were drawn up for alien citizens. According to Boris Guzairov, if a foreigner violates these regulations the host party that is a Russian citizen bears the same responsibility for it. However, statistics show that more than a half of our compatriots escape responsibility.
       "Residents of the republic rent their housing out to foreigners and make good profit disregarding the way their tenants live," Boris Guzairov states urging his colleagues to redouble their efforts in this direction.
       Although the number of foreign residents in Bashkortostan dropped, the number of crimes committed by them has grown by 40%. Moreover, foreigners perpetrate such serious crimes as murders, rapes and drug distribution.
       In order to react to the possible aggravation of the situation as promptly as possible a special 24/7 hotline was set up in 2009 in the RB Department of the Federal Migration Service.
       As for the work of the Federal Migration Service on issuance of documents, every seventh resident of Bashkortostan made use of its services. For instance, the Service issued 267 thousand Russian Passports with 13 thousand passports given to our 14-year-old compatriots. By tradition, they received their first passports in a solemn atmosphere.
       The number of international passports issued in 2009 comes to 80 thousand. Half of them are biometric. One may receive an international passport of the latest pattern in 14 subdivisions of the RB Department of the Federal Migration Service: in Ufa, Belebey, Beloretsk, Birsk, Mezhgorie, Neftekamsk, Oktyabrsky, Salavat, Sterlitamak, Sibay and Kigi region.
       In 2009, the RB Department of the Federal Migration Service transferred 127 million roubles for the state duty payment to the federal budget. Local budgets received over 67 million roubles on account the paid fines.
       Photo is taken from the web-site www.lifeisphoto.ru