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Russia-Ukraine war: EU discusses how to deal with Russian conscientious objectors

2022-09-22T21:15:19.060Z


The EU states want to coordinate more closely on asylum issues for Russian deserters. German politicians support this, but the Czech Republic backs down. In general, it is still unclear how the Russians could come here at all.


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Cars at the Vaalimaa border crossing from Russia to Finland

Photo: STAFF / REUTERS

Following the announced partial mobilization in Russia, the EU states are debating whether to accept conscientious objectors and deserters.

A spokeswoman for the EU Commission emphasized that those affected have the right to apply for asylum in the EU.

In principle, safety aspects must also be taken into account.

They are working with the EU countries to find a common approach.

Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) told the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Sunday newspaper": "As a rule, deserters who are threatened by severe repression receive international protection in Germany." can apply for asylum in Germany because of political persecution«.

However, the granting of asylum is a case-by-case decision, which also includes a security check.

After the Kremlin announced that 300,000 reservists had been called up, many young men attempted to withdraw from Russia or protested on Wednesday.

Flight tickets abroad were sometimes rare, the EU state Finland reported on Thursday about increased arrivals from the neighboring country.

Many also tried to travel to Georgia by car and got stuck in traffic at the border.

“Anyone who faces conscription and doesn't want to be part of a war crimes army is opposed to the Putin system.

We Europeans should now quickly grant asylum to Russian regime opponents as well as innocent deserters," Johannes Vogel, first parliamentary secretary of the FDP parliamentary group, told SPIEGEL.

Green foreign politician Robin Wagener told SPIEGEL that Putin is the greatest threat to Russian-speaking people.

"We can and should protect Russian deserters from Putin's mobilization and grant them temporary asylum."

The Czech Republic does not want to take in Russian conscientious objectors

Anyone who applies for asylum in Germany as a Russian citizen in order not to have to fight in Ukraine already has good prospects for protection status.

However, in the past, many Russians and citizens of other countries such as Turkey were reluctant to apply for asylum for fear that this might make it more difficult for them to return home at a later date.

The situation is different in the Czech Republic: the country does not want to grant any refuge to Russians who want to refuse military service in Ukraine.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky told the CTK agency that he understands that Russians are fleeing the "increasingly desperate decisions" of their president.

However, those who do not want to fulfill their obligations to their own state do not yet meet the conditions for being issued a humanitarian visa, he said.

The Czech Republic has not issued regular new visas to Russian citizens for months.

Pro Asyl calls for open escape routes

The refugee aid organization Pro Asyl announced that appeals for the admission of Russian conscientious objectors are without substance as long as there is no possibility for those affected to enter the European Union.

"If you want to give them protection, you have to establish a procedure for these people to cross the European external borders," said Pro-Asyl managing director Günter Burkhardt.

One viable option would be to issue humanitarian visas to Russians affected by partial mobilization who have managed to travel to countries such as Georgia or Turkey.

At the same time, Burkhardt campaigned for the admission of conscientious objectors from Belarus.

Other politicians from the FDP and the Greens joined the demands of their party colleagues this Thursday.

"Apparently many Russians are leaving their homeland: anyone who hates Putin's path and loves liberal democracy is very welcome in Germany," wrote Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) on Twitter that night.

Green politician Erik Marquardt also called for an EU admissions program for these men.

"The EU Commission must quickly take the reins in hand," said the MEP.

The EU cannot have any interest in sending people to war who do not want to fight for Putin.

CDU foreign affairs expert Jürgen Hardt also called on the EU to prepare quickly for the admission of Russian conscientious objectors.

Young men in particular are affected by the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hardt told the Düsseldorf "Rheinische Post" on Friday.

»Many have a good education and therefore certainly also a perspective on the EU job markets.«

kko/dpa

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2022-09-22

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