Significant Increase in Russian Asylum Applications in the U.S. in 2015

The number of Russians applying for asylum in the U.S. reached a peak in 2015, the highest in two decades. Immigration lawyers cite reasons such as intensified political repression, widespread administrative and financial corruption, and discrimination and harassment of sexual minorities. According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, approximately 1,500 asylum applications from Russian citizens were received in the first nine months of this year, which is a 50% increase compared to last year and double the number from 2012 when Vladimir Putin returned to the presidency. Since the beginning of Putin's new presidential term, the number of Russian asylum applications in the U.S. has increased each year. Although information provided to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty does not specify the reasons for asylum applications, immigration lawyers in the U.S. state that one reason is the widespread exodus of sexual minorities from the country since 2013, following the controversial law that the Russian government claims aims to prevent the promotion of homosexuality among children and adolescents. Western governments have condemned this law as discriminatory, and human rights groups argue it grants immunity to perpetrators of violence against sexual minorities. The Russian government claims that this law does not violate the rights of sexual minorities and is solely intended to protect children. Immigration lawyers in the U.S. also indicate that another reason for the significant increase in asylum applications may be the intensification of political repression against opponents or harassment by corrupt government officials. Many asylum seekers report that the atmosphere of repression in Russia has intensified since the onset of the Ukraine crisis. Since returning to the presidency, Vladimir Putin has implemented various measures to tighten government control over the political landscape of the country. State media have become more of a propaganda tool for the government, and many civil society organizations that have criticized his policies have been shut down under the pretext of receiving foreign funding. Legal cases have been initiated against prominent political activists, including Alexei Navalny, all of which have political motivations. Immigration lawyers working with asylum seekers report that they have seen many cases in recent years where Russian citizens attempt to leave the country due to judicial persecution. They state that government officials and agencies use methods such as bribery, creating false cases, and even coercing individuals into false confessions to exert pressure on opponents. The civil organization 'Equality Migration,' the largest legal entity providing assistance and legal advice to LGBTQ immigrants in the U.S., reports that the number of Russian asylum seekers who have approached this group this year is nearly equal to that of 2014. Aaron Morris, the legal director of this organization based in New York, states that with several months remaining in the current year, the number of asylum seekers approaching this organization may exceed last year’s figures. Many of these individuals are same-sex couples who have married in the U.S. and intend to apply for asylum to remain in the country. Fear of physical violence against LGBTQ individuals in Russia appears to be one of the main reasons for their asylum applications in the U.S. According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, more than 17,000 Russian citizens have applied for asylum in the U.S. since 1994, with over 6,000 cases approved. The highest number of asylum applications from Russian citizens in the U.S. was recorded in 1994, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since then, the number in 2015 has been higher than any other year in the past twenty years. The number of Russians applying for asylum in European countries is significantly higher than in the U.S. According to statistics from the European Union's statistical office, the number of asylum applications from Russian citizens was about 35,000 in 2013 and over 14,000 in 2014. According to the same statistics, between 2008 and 2014, the number of Russians applying for asylum in the U.S. was higher than in most European countries, except for Germany, France, Poland, and Sweden.