Several tens of thousands of Russians are currently fleeing their country to escape the partial mobilization wanted by Vladimir Putin in Ukraine. “Being a conscientious objector is not in itself a reason for political asylum”says Patrick Martin-Genier, a specialist in European issues, expressing surprise that these Russians “who want to flee have found nothing wrong with this special operation since February 24”. The teacher at Sciences Po Paris and Inalco believes that “This poses a real political and ethical problem.”
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franceinfo: Are there many Russians fleeing their country?
Patrick Martin-Genier: At the moment, this only concerns a few thousand people. However, this poses a formidable political, legal and logistical problem, especially since Europe is not on the same wavelength. We know that Germany, for example, has once again decided to do everything possible to grant asylum. At the same time, some countries such as Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, which are countries very close and completely dependent on these migratory flows, are against it. They consider that these young people who want to leave must first fight against Putin’s regime rather than flee. It is exactly the same position as Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president.
There are also those countries which say they fear that there is an infiltration of Russian spies. Is it possible ?
It is extremely delicate. Indeed, we cannot exclude that there are supporters, spies of Vladimir Putin in the flow of migrants. That’s why when you examine an asylum application, you have to see it on a case-by-case basis. That’s what Germany said. Indeed, it is not excluded that there are certain people who are close to Putin who come to infiltrate the West, the media, politics. It is necessary to be extremely careful, to investigate these asylum applications on a case-by-case basis.
It is true that this is going to be a political issue, because the countries of the European Union, once again, are not on the same wavelength, but should quickly think about common criteria for the examination of these asylum applications. There is the Geneva Convention on refugees but the fact of being a conscientious objector is not in itself a reason for political asylum. If all conscientious objectors asked for political asylum, they would not fulfill their mission. These are people who want to flee today because they will be affected by conscription, partial mobilization, whereas since February 24, no one has found anything wrong with this special operation. So that poses a real political and ethical problem.
Nevertheless, wouldn’t there be a message to send to the Russians to say that Europe considers them, undermining Vladimir Putin’s speech?
Yes of course. But Vladimir Putin has absolutely nothing to do with what Europe thinks. It is not for a few thousand people who will flee that it is likely to destabilize his regime. Anyway, we know that there are already 10,000 people who have been recruited and who are going to the front in Ukraine. I believe that he has absolutely nothing to do with Europe. With considerable censorship, the heavy screed on the media, once again, the Russian people will not be aware of the West’s reactions at all.