Russia has invited Nigerian migrants and others as part of its efforts to tackle a critical demographic and labor shortage. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov shared this update today, November 22.
“Migrants are essential,” Peskov told state news agency RIA Novosti, highlighting that the vast country is facing a decline in its domestic workforce.
“We have a challenging demographic situation. Despite being the largest country in the world, our population is not that large.”
This week, Russia’s parliament enacted a law banning “child-free propaganda” in an effort to boost birth rates.
The decision follows years of population decline, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, low fertility rates, and a large number of men fleeing conscription due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Rosstat data shows that Russia’s fertility rate was 1.41 births per woman in 2023, well below the 2.0 replacement rate. Between January and September, births dropped to a record low of 920,200, a 3.4% decline from the previous year. Peskov emphasized that Russia’s future growth depends on a strong labor force.
“We need a labor force to drive dynamic development and execute all our development projects,” Peskov stated.
Despite growing anti-migrant sentiments aimed at Central Asian workers, Peskov affirmed that Russian authorities are open to migration, seeing it as a vital response to the population crisis.
In July, the Kremlin acknowledged that the country’s shrinking population is “disastrous for the future,” leading to a renewed focus on policies that promote larger families and encourage foreign labor.
