September 11, 2024

Where the Russians Are (Going)


Where the Russians Are (Going)
EU and Ukrainian flags hanging in Germany.  Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons / “Münster, Stadtweinhaus, Beflaggung Ukraine und EU -- 2022 -- 0219” / CC BY-SA 4.0For print products: Dietmar Rabich / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:M%C3%BCnster,_Stadtweinhaus,_Beflaggung_Ukraine_und_EU_--_2022_--_0219.jpg / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

In 2023, the second year of Russia's war on Ukraine, EU countries issued 115,651 residency permits to Russian citizens. According to independent news outlet Verstka, the greatest number were issued by Germany – almost 22,000 visas, followed by Spain and Cyprus.

The country with the largest percentage increase from prior years was Portugal, which offered 4,700 permits in 2023 as opposed to 1,400 in 2022. 

Greece, Estonia, Poland, and Finland have all taken steps to reduce the number of permits issued in 2023, decreasing the number of permits by more than 50% since 2022. The number of orders to leave the EU issued to Russian citizens increased, with 7,215 Russians forced to leave the EU in 2023. 

Approximately 900,000 Russian citizens have emigrated from Russia since March 2022. 

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