Russia Starts Deporting NKorean Migrant Workers

Russia has begun deporting North Korean migrant workers from its country, making good on a promise it made last month.

Tass, a news outlet aligned with the Kremlin, quoted the Russian Ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, as saying the deportations are underway.

"Many governors have started to deport [North] Koreans in order to report early implementation," Matsegora said during a visit to New York, Tass reported.

Russia, according to Tass, has 12,000 migrant workers from North Korea. Although none of them are reported to be there illegally.

"This will deal a blow to the Russian economy, a serious blow, especially to the Far East," Matsegora said.

In late January, Reuters reported Russia would be forced to deport all of its North Korean migrant workers by the end of 2018 because of U.N. Security Council sanctions placed on North Korea.

The latest report in Tass claims those deportations have begun. Matsegora added, "We don't return anyone to North Korea by force."

The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously in December to step up its diplomatic efforts to help stop North Korea's pursuit of a nuclear arsenal by passing additional sanctions, which included a mandate all countries expel North Korean migrant workers.

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