MOSCOW, February 29 - RAPSI. Presidential candidate and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has called for criminal responsibility for immigrants violating registration procedure.

"We must toughen the punishment for violating our regulations, and set criminal liability for such offenses," Putin said at a meeting with his election agents on Wednesday.

Immigrants will continue breaking registration procedures unless they face criminal liability for these offenses, he said.

Putin also proposed calling into account individuals who register over 100 people in the same flat and thereby help immigrants to break the law.

He noted that Russia must develop its migration policy to properly distribute specialists among the regions and send them to those regions where they are needed the most.