as of year end 2006, 1,020 people have been granted temporary asylum status and 405 people have been granted full refugee status by the russian government. it is estimated, however, that there may be as many as one million "undocumented foreigners" on russian soil awaiting initial access to the procedure of refugee status determination. the russian authorities are notorious for denying refugee status to asylum seekers – with the approval rate for refugee status at only 2-5% of applicants.