The Kremlin said on Friday that improvements to Russia's immigration system were being prepared after the head of the Orthodox Church warned of a threat to the country's national identity.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said migration was an important topic and a list of instructions was being drawn up to strengthen the existing system.

Immigration to Russia mostly comes from Central Asian states that used to be part of the Soviet Union.

The issue is delicate for the Kremlin because many companies are struggling to find skilled workers after hundreds of thousands of Russians fled abroad following the start of the war in Ukraine, something Moscow calls a "special military operation." (Reporting by Reuters, writing by Mark Trevelyan Editing by Andrew Osborn)