Donetsk, Nov 26 – DAN. As many as 250,000 people have received Donetsk People’s Republic passports since March 2016, head of the Immigration Service of the Interior Ministry Vladimir Krasnoscheka told DAN.
“As of today, DPR Interior Ministry’s Migration Service has issued 247,000 DPR passports, 1,820 of those were issued to foreigners,” Krasnoscheka said.
DPR began issuing its passports on March 16, 2016. In 2018, 97 thousand IDs were issued.
The first 20 DPR residents received IDs from Alexander Zakharcheno, who was DPR Head at the time.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognizing identification documents issued by the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics on February 19, 2017.
The decree was signed “to protect human rights and freedoms in accordance with the widely recognized principles of international humanitarian law” and to remain in force “for the period until the political settlement of the situation is achieved” on the basis of the Minsk Agreements. *ot