At a meeting of the Moscow City Duma, he stated: "Moscow currently lacks labor resources, and the situation will only worsen in the future. Populism regarding migration policy is unacceptable under these conditions," as reported by "Interfax".
Sobyanin added: "Ideally, we would manage without migrants, but unfortunately, the existing demographic and economic situation requires a different approach. Even in the context of easing economic realities, the number of vacant jobs remains high — from 400 to 500 thousand."
He emphasized the need to effectively utilize migration policy, which, despite its shortcomings, brings significant benefits, contributing to a 5-6% growth in the city's gross regional product.
The mayor noted: "If we imagine that migrants leave the city, it would lead to a sharp increase in inflation and a brain drain from key sectors such as industry and the defense industry."
Sobyanin also warned against a frivolous attitude towards this issue: "This is a serious matter, and we cannot afford to engage in populism."
According to him, "our opponents eagerly use interethnic and interreligious themes to create conflicts and problems. We must not condone this, but at the same time, we must take decisive measures to organize processes and restore order."
