French visas for Russian deserters: A new asylum precedent
Six Russian army deserters who fled the war in Ukraine have been temporarily granted visas in France. These visas will enable them to apply for political asylum, reported the British daily The Guardian on Wednesday. This is the first widely commented case of a larger group of Russian deserters being received by a European Union country.
The Russian soldiers, among whom were veterans of fighting in Ukraine, conscripts, and officers, fled from Russia to Kazakhstan in 2022 and 2023. Some of them participated in front-line actions, while others—thanks to fortunate coincidences—did not reach the battlefront. Subsequently, in the following months, they all individually reached Paris.
“When I landed in France, it was the first time I could breathe fully. I felt a sense of calmness and freedom … the worst was behind me,” said Aleksandr, a former contract soldier of the Russian army, who deserted in the summer of 2023 after being sent to Ukraine, in an interview with "The Guardian".
The deserters chose Kazakhstan because passports are not required during border crossings of former USSR countries like Armenia or Kazakhstan. However, it is difficult for refugees without these documents to move further; moreover, there is a risk that Russian services might find them on foreign soil.
Aleksandr explained that he had to go into hiding in Kazakhstan to avoid being discovered by Russian authorities. He described his life as one where he remained almost invisible, without access to a bank account or SIM card, constantly fearing detection by Russian forces. The harsh circumstances have made the journey of deserters to the West, particularly to EU countries, nearly impossible until now.
The European Union has debated opening asylum procedures for Russian deserters, but no decisions have been made yet. The dilemmas involve not only whether deserters should be accepted at all but also how to treat them—as heroes, potential threats, or perhaps war criminals.
The case of the six deserters accepted by France is exceptional.
“This is the first time an EU country let in a group of deserters who did not have any travel documents or foreign passports,” quotes "The Guardian" Iwan Czuwiliajew, spokesman for the organisation "Go Through the Woods," which supports Russian soldiers in escaping. He emphasised that the decision was made after lengthy discussions between French authorities and human rights organisations.
Czuwiliajew and others involved in assisting deserters express hope that France's precedent could lead to more such decisions in Western countries.
The six escapees were thoroughly checked before being accepted to ensure that they presented a "strong, consistent anti-war stance,” noted Czuwiliajew. In his opinion, this case may prompt more soldiers to desert the Russian army.
Some Russian deserters pay the highest price for their decision. In February, Captain Maksim Kuzminov, a pilot of a Russian Mi-8 helicopter who first fled to Ukraine and then moved to Spain, was murdered in Spain. His murder is attributed to Russian special services.
