Donetsk, Jan 30 - DAN. Donetsk People’s Republic authorities plan to increase Migration Service personnel and cut document processing time due to a large demand for DPR passports, the Republic’s leader Denis Pushilin said at a meeting with Donetsk Republic social movement activists on Thursday.

“A whole range of measures is under consideration: from increasing the personnel (of the Interior Ministry’s Migration Service - eds Donetsk News Agency) to cutting the document checking time,” Pushilin said.

He noted a considerable increase in the demand for DPR passports since the simplified Russian citizenship procedure was launched.

On April 24, 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the degree on determining groups of foreign nationals eligible to obtain Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure. The document specifically eases Russian citizenship rules for residents of the Donbass Republics. The first such passports were issued on July 14. Donbass Republics residents have to travel to Russia’s Rostov region to collect their Russian passports.

DPR passports have been issued to the Republic’s residents since March 2016.*jk