MOSCOW, December 9 (RAPSI) – The Moscow authorities plan to reduce the number of immigrants in the city’s housing and utilities sector by one-third next year, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in an interview for the Monday issue of Vechernyaya Moskva evening newspaper.

He said that municipal snow removal companies were being set up, which would predominantly hire Muscovites and people from other Russian regions. There are also plans to introduce a new system of housing maintenance.

“However, we will still employ immigrants at some level. The key task here is to ensure that they work legally and receive the same pay as Russians. They must also pay taxes just as Russian nationals, otherwise employers will try their best to hire Tajiks rather than Russians,” Sobyanin said.

He added that over 30 outdoor markets had been closed down in the past three years, and in each case the number of illegal immigrants and crime went down in the market’s neighborhood.

“The number of non-stationary retail outlets has been cut by 8,000-10,000,” the mayor said. “We have legalized around 30,000 taxi drivers, some 20,000 of whom are immigrants,” Sobyanin said in conclusion.