Syrian refugees
© AP Photo/Bilal Hussein, file
Certain attempts by refugees from the Middle East to use Russian territory have been registered, but the Kremlin believes the issue of granting quotas for them the way other European countries have been doing is not on the agenda.

"This issue is hardly relevant for Russia," presidential press-secretary Dmitry Peskov said. "Of course, we had anticipated certain costs (material and other) these processes will entail. To a large extent these costs will be borne by the countries that at a certain point contributed to bringing about the catastrophic situation in some Maghreb states and in the Middle East," Peskov said. He avoided mentioning the countries he had in mind.

Peskov said that attempts had been identified by refugees from the Middle East to use Russian territory for traveling to other countries.

"It is true that attempts at using Russian territory have been registered," Peskov said, adding that in some instances refugees made attempts "to move to some other countries."

"In this case Russia as part of Europe cannot be immune from such attempts," Peskov said.

"There is a far greater risk. Among the refugees in Europe — and the European authorities confirm this — regrettably there are people from the so-called Islamic State, which had been involved in hostilities, terrorist acts, killings and so on," Peskov said.

He described that as a tremendous risk and added that "not a single state in Europe, including Russia can afford to turn a blind eye on this risk."

About the theme of hosting refugees Peskov said that Russia was helping the Syrian government "in a different way."

"Addressing that problem along the outer perimeter is practically impossible. It is essential to address not the consequences, but the causes, which makes these people flee their home countries," Peskov.