Germany granted 2,000 Russian nationals protection since start of war

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine two years ago, around 2,000 Russian citizens and their family members have been granted a German visa due to personal danger, reported dpa.

According to the data, which came in response to a question from left-wing lawmaker Clara Bünger, such residence permits had been issued to 2,035 people from Russia under international law and for urgent humanitarian reasons since the beginning of 2022.

An average of just under 190 Russian men between the ages of 18 and 45 have been applying for asylum in Germany every month, the German government said in the response which was made available to dpa. Only a small number of them were recognized as asylum seekers.

The adjusted protection rate for male Russian applicants belonging to this age group was 10.5% in January of this year, after around 25% in the previous year and just under 40% in the period between the start of the war in February 2022 and December 31, 2022.

The adjusted protection rate only refers to those foreigners whose asylum applications have been examined by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). Those who have withdrawn their application or are now applying in another European Union country were not included.

Bünger accused Chancellor Olaf Scholz of not honouring his promise to take in people who did not want to take part in the war against Ukraine.

She called on the government to instruct the migration authority to grant generous protection not only to military deserters, but also to Russian conscientious objectors opposed to the war.