Currently, 880 citizens of Afghanistan are recognized as refugees in the Russian Federation
Moscow. January 13. INTERFAX - Russia is ready to provide asylum to refugees from Afghanistan within the framework of international law, the head of the Main Directorate for Migration Affairs (GUVM) said The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia Valentina Kazakova.
"The experience of the Russian Federation allows, in the event of a mass arrival of asylum seekers, to carry out the necessary measures in order to comply with the norms of international law," Kazakova said in an interview with Interfax.
The head of the GUVM reported that as of October 1, 2021, 880 Afghan citizens received refugee status in the Russian Federation.
According to Kazakova, over the past three years, more than 1.8 thousand Afghan citizens have applied to the Russian Interior Ministry for asylum. At the same time, the total number of foreign citizens who applied to the Russian Federation for asylum exceeded 19 thousand people.
"It should be noted that over the past years, Afghanistan has traditionally been among the three countries whose natives most often apply for asylum on the territory of the Russian Federation, but the citizens of this country do not consider Russia as a priority direction of migration," Kazakova said.
According to her, foreign citizens recognized as refugees or who have received temporary asylum have the right to live in temporary accommodation centers on the territory of the Russian Federation. Kazakova noted that the maintenance of unemployed foreign citizens of this category in such centers is carried out at the expense of the state.
The head of the migration department also told Interfax that Russia has organized export flights from Afghanistan for Russians and foreigners.
"The Russian side has organized special export flights for Russian citizens, as well as foreign citizens who wished to leave the zone of tension in Afghanistan, who evacuated about 700 people, including 225 citizens of this country," Kazakova said.
She noted that Afghan citizens staying in the Russian Federation are provided with the necessary visa support, as well as possible options for resolving their legal situation within the framework of Russian migration legislation, including by granting asylum, are being worked out.
