January 24, 2013 More than 250,000 people entered Russia through Koltsovo Airport’s passport control point in 2012, which is 30% more than in 2011. This increase has to do with a greater number of flights being operated as well as with the transit travel of foreigners, Deputy Head of Russia’s Federal Migration Service’s Sverdlovsk Region division Yuri Bezborodov announced at a press conference.

303,00 foreign residents registered with the migration authorities in Sverdlovsk Region last year against 270,000 people a year earlier, so the increase amounted to 12%.

‘Last year, as for the countries whose residents can enjoy the visa-free entry procedure here, the greatest number of people flew in from Uzbekistan, even though these are typically the Tajikistan residents who outnumber everyone. As for the visa countries, the greatest number of visitors came from China, Turkey, and Germany,’ Bezborodov said.