The question of welcoming Russian citizens who want to flee the war and avoid “partial mobilization” divides European countries. The Polish government, for example, is quite hostile towards these refugees, while Serbia is one of the rare European countries to still open its doors to them without conditions. In Israel, Canada and Ireland, the doors seem more open.
In Israel, Russian immigrants outnumber Ukrainian refugees
More than 24,000 arrivals from Russia have been recorded since the start of the war. “Figures that no one saw coming”, says Ygal Palmor, spokesperson for the Jewish Agency in Israel. New arrivals with very different profiles from the economic exodus of the 1990s, when nearly a million inhabitants of the former USSR came to settle in Israel.
This time, it is rather an emigration “of fear, panic, disgust”, say the specialists. There are those who left Russia hastily, at the start of the war, amid rumors of border closures. There are opponents of Vladimir Putin’s Russia or even artists, actors, singers, filmmakers who feared being filed as “foreign agents” or no longer wanted to censor themselves. There are also those for whom the Israeli passport was the only way for their children to avoid going to fight in Ukraine, since the announcement of the mobilization. Finally there are those who already have Israeli nationality, family there, or Jewish origins. For Russian Jews, Israel is the ideal destination: unlike European countries, no visa is required.
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More and more Russians are stepping up their search for evidence of their Jewish origins. In Moscow, a sign of the exodus, five new private agencies have opened in recent months to facilitate departures to Israel. For Israel, this revival of Russian aliyah – the Hebrew term for “the rise”, emigration to Israel – is a boon, a strategic asset, encouraged by the authorities for demographic reasons in the face of the Palestinians. The government has also planned at the beginning of the month a plan of 90 million shekels – or 25 million euros intended for the reception of Jewish immigrants from Russia.
Some outside observers view this emigration with sarcasm: “They want to leave Russia for Israel”, in reference to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But like most Russian immigrants, many are “cut” realities on the ground, caught up in the war in their country.
In Ireland, more flexible reception conditions for Russians
Ireland remained militarily neutral in this conflict. The country is now popular with Russians for its more flexible reception conditions. Ireland is a small country but given their history, the Irish have always welcomed those fleeing war. So at first glance, it’s not an obvious destination for Russians, but in reality if you think about it, it’s the closest English-speaking country since Brexit. They are already nearly 1000 Russians to have arrived since the end of September. “They won’t find me here”, says Roman, the director of a bank in Moscow. I had no other choice but to leave because once you get the letter from the army, the soldiers can stop you in the street, at your work, in the subway. It’s an incredible feeling, it’s my first experience in a free country. I have the right to talk about the problems in my country! But just because I’m gone doesn’t mean I don’t feel anything anymore. I’m upset and I’m ashamed.”
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The issue is currently under discussion, but Russia may soon be on the list of priority countries to facilitate asylum applications in Ireland. “The European Union has created a whole arsenal of sanctions against Russian citizens, explains Claire-Marianne Tetart, communications director at the Irish Refugee Council. Facilitating the conditions for asylum applications also goes against this. Another difficulty we can also have among its requests are relatives of the current regime in Russia for espionage or any other reason that leads us to be more vigilant with regard to Russian citizens. Moreover, reception needs for Russians are long-term. Unlike Ukrainian families, they will not be welcome at home after this war from which they fled illegally.
In Canada, Russian citizens are welcome but clash with the administration
Canada has opened its doors wide to Ukrainians since the start of the conflict, but also to Russians fleeing the regime or the mobilization. It must be said that unlike many European countries, Canada does not close the door to citizens from Russia. A study by the University of Calgary also shows that the number of applications for work visas increased ninefold between February and June. A phenomenon further accelerated since the mobilization declared by President Vladimir Putin. Except that the men seeking to flee the war come up against a major obstacle, the formidable Canadian administration. The immigration services are experiencing delays of several months in the processing of files. Several lawyers denounce a situation that puts the lives of their clients in danger. Some people risk ending up in Ukraine against their will if they do not receive their Canadian visa in time.
Ukrainian associations would like the Canadian government to be less welcoming towards citizens from the “enemy” country, even if they are dissidents of the regime. For their part, the lawyers representing the Russian claimants argue that citizens from Ukraine benefit from an accelerated administrative procedure to settle in Canada. But again, the failures of the immigration service nullify this advantage.