© Yannis Behrakis / ReutersSyrian refugees try to protect themselves from gusts of wind and dust as they cross Greece's border with Macedonia, near the Greek village of Idomeni, September 8, 2015
"Our territory, our culture and our history, even our social situation are actually capable of withstanding this," the ombudsman told the RSN radio when asked if Russia could open the doors for refugees from Syria.
"After the beginning of the Donbass conflict we were ready to accept all Ukrainian orphans and there were about 90,500 of them at that moment," Astakhov added. "We were ready to accept them all, we have resources and potential for this."
The official also emphasized that refugees in Russia must not forever remain dependent from social programs, but must become responsible members of the society.
"Today we have a different category of refugees, they are not desperate, starving, poor and unemployed people. No, they are mostly people with average income who primarily seek peace. They need conditions for work and education and European governments must apply effort to this," Astakhov told journalists. "We also could carry out such program or render help if there is a desire for this," he added.
The head of the Federal Migration Service, Konstantin Romodanovsky, told TASS on Wednesday that Russia is ready to accept refugees from Syria on condition that they violate no laws.
He added that Russian authorities were studying asylum applications from Syrian citizens and rendered help to these people, but noted that "historically European countries are more appropriate as refuge for Syrians than the Russian Federation."
According to Romodanovsky, 182 Syrian citizens used Russia as a transit zone when they traveled to Europe in 2015. "They observed all the rules and we have no claims against these people," he noted.
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