MIGRATION SERVICE DIRECTOR ROMODANOVSKIY ON NORTH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 011778

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2016
TAGS: PREF PREL RS
SUBJECT: MIGRATION SERVICE DIRECTOR ROMODANOVSKIY ON NORTH
KOREANS, STATELESSNESS IN RUSSIA


Classified By: Ambassador William J. Burns. Reasons 1.4. (b and d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Federal Migration Service Director
Konstantin Romodanovskiy told PRM/Admissions Director Terry
Rusch October 6 that Russia would consider resettlement of
North Koreans to the U.S. on a case-by-case basis, repeating
what other GOR interlocutors have told us previously.
Separately, Romodanovskiy said that the GOR had enacted
legislation offering further opportunities for former Soviet
citizens who were living in Russia and now stateless to
obtain Russian citizenship. Romodanovskiy expressed an
interest in further cooperation with the U.S. and other
countries experienced in migration and is seen by our
contacts as someone trying to reform the migration service.
END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Federal Migration Service Director Konstantin
Romodanovskiy and members of his staff met with
PRM/Admissions Director Terry Rusch, DHS Chief of Refugee
Affairs Barbara Strack, Deputy Chief of Refugee Affairs June
Tancredi and refcoord October 6 to discuss the possible
resettlement of North Koreans to the U.S. and other potential
cooperation between the FMS and its U.S. counterparts.

North Koreans
--------------


3. (C) Rusch began the meeting by thanking Romodanovskiy for
FMS' assistance with the resettlement of Meskhetian Turks to
the U.S. and noted that the GOR,s experience with the
statelessness issue positioned it well to play an active role
within the international community in addressing it. She
noted that the purpose of her visit to Russia was to
participate in a workshop sponsored by the USG and the
International Organization for Migration to train NGOs in how
to refer cases to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Rusch
noted that the GOR was revising its laws on refugees and
expressed U.S. hopes that it would enhance protection for
asylum seekers.


4. (C) Turning to North Koreans, Rusch explained the passage
of the North Korean Human Rights Act and U.S. interest in
resettling North Korean asylum seekers to the U.S. if they so
desired. The U.S. understood the sensitivities of this issue
for the GOR given its relationship with North Korea, and it
appreciated the GOR's willingness to work with UNHCR and the
ROK in resettling North Koreans in South Korea. There had
been instances, including when a North Korean had approached
the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok, expressing interest in
third country resettlement The U.S. Government hoped that if
an asylum seeker desired to go to the U.S. rather than South
Korea, the GOR would allow the United States to process the
case.


5. (C) Romodanovskiy said that there were North Koreans in
Russia and that their status varied. Each year, about 20-30
of them were resettled to South Korea through UNHCR and the
ROK. Romodanovskiy stressed that the FMS did not have sole
responsibility for these issues, and it worked in conjunction
with other GOR agencies, the MFA and others, that also have
to be involved.

Statelessness
--------------


6. (C) Rusch raised the issue of statelessness in Russia.
Romodanovskiy said that the collapse of the Soviet Union had
created a burden for Russia, which had to absorb forced
migrants from within the former Soviet space, care for
internally displaced persons from Chechnya, and deal with
refugees from third countries such as Afghanistan. Among
them were Soviet citizens who were now stateless and needed
to be integrated into Russia. Romodanovskiy said that,
during the last year, it had granted citizenship to 508,000
people, of whom 210,000 were former Soviet citizens who had
delayed seeking Russian citizenship. The GOR realized that
there were several thousand more, and early this year,
President Putin signed a law extending the deadline for
Soviet citizens in Russia to claim Russian citizenship until

2008.


7. (C) Romodanovskiy said the FMS continued to implement
reforms and wanted to cooperate with the U.S. and other
Western countries and that the GOR had initiated the G-8
experts meeting on migration that had just concluded in
Lisbon. One of the key issues for the FMS was further

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development of its visa regime, but is was also interested in
broader issues of migration and the processing of refugees
and asylum seekers. Strack noted that USCIS would be pleased
to organize briefings for Romodanovskiy or his staff in the
event of a visit to the United States.

COMMENT
--------------


8. (C) The FMS has had difficulties defining its missions
and its goals as a result of constant GOR reorganizations and
a lack of leadership. Our contacts at UNHCR and elsewhere
have welcomed Romodanovskiy's leadership in taking charge of
the organization and his interest in cooperation. They note,
however, that as a result of the reorganizations and merger
with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the FMS has developed
a law-enforcement mentality.

BURNS