Russia’s consulate general in Lviv has received over 200 applications from residents of Western Ukraine asking for resettlement to Russia under a Russian government program, Consul General in Lviv Yevgeny Guzeyev told ZIK (Western-Ukrainian news agency) March 14.
According to the diplomat, the resettlement program for Russians living abroad was launched in October 2007.
Forty applications are being processed by the consulate, with 8 applicants denied permission. “The main reason for the denials is the lack of jobs in the areas targeted by applicants. Those who get their permissions are given financial aid for relocation and temporary housing, Guzeyev said.
Among the applicants are not only ethnic Russians, but also Ukrainians willing to move to oblasts Kaliningrad, Tver, Kaluga and Khabarovsk. The main reasons for resettling cited by applicants include reunification of families and job opportunities.
As spring sets in, the number of applicants will grow, Guzeyev predicts.
