Russia to test workers for language

About 140,000 foreign workers will be tested for basic knowledge of the Russian language in 2012-2013, Head of the Russian Federal Migration Service Constantine Romodanovsky said. According to Russian news agency (Ria Novosti), the initiative concerns foreigners engaged in housing and utilities, trade and services. 95% of people working in the mentioned fields are of CIS origin. About 160 centers have been given the right to test migrants. There are 238 centers offering lessons of the language, 53 of them were opened with support of the federal service and give free lessons. The country needs a law on amnesty of citizenship to implement a simpler procedure for issuing of passports. About 70,000 people would be able to make use of the law, Romodanovsky said.