‘Home’ has been a far away concept for Aleksei* after he fled Moscow at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The anti-war activist had been living in Georgia for two years – and had planned to make it his permanent residency – when protests against Georgian’s pro-Kremlin government engulfed the capital Tbilisi.
He originally fled Russia in 2022 to avoid conscription. Since then, he is among the hundreds of people who have been arrested in Georgia during the ongoing protests, which have been met with unprecedented police brutality.
But unlike other demonstrators, who, just like Aleksei, have faced beatings and 10 days behind bars, he was faced with the impossible choice of being extradited to Russia or leaving Georgia voluntarily.
The threat was so severe that in January this year, he bought a one-way ticket to Armenia, leaving his girlfriend and friends behind in Tbilisi.
This is the third time Aleksei has had to move in the last three years after escaping Russia – first crossing the border to Kazakhstan, then Georgia and now Armenia.
Fearing Armenia’s relationship with the Kremlin, he is determined to seek refuge elsewhere. But options for Russians – even if they oppose the war – are scarce.
‘I want to move to Europe, but it is hard with my Russian passport,’ he told Metro from his rented room in the Armenian capital Yerevan.
He added that he has to start from ‘ground zero’ to rebuild his life.
‘Another option is South East Asia, like Thailand or Vietnam. I would really like to move to Bulgaria, but it is hard, having to obtain a visa.
‘Serbia is easier, but I worry about the government’s ties with the Kremlin – it is the same like here, in Armenia.’
EU members have significantly tightened travel restrictions for Russians after the invasion began in February 2022, while some countries – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Poland and the Czech Republic – have imposed outright bans.
Citizens need a valid visa to enter the Schengen Area, which covers most of the continent, and since the visa facilitation agreement with Russia was fully suspended in September 2022, applications now undergo more extended scrutiny.
Aleksei said: ‘After everything I experienced in Georgia, I feel like there is no place for me. I am not sure how to deal with it. I never legalised my status in Georgia, I tried many times but it was not possible.
‘The Georgian police used this against me. It has become clear to me that I have less and less options and I will have to embrace a nomadic life. Now that I can work remotely, it makes sense.
‘But the feeling that you have less and less “space” in the world, makes me feel stateless. It is hard to deal with it.’
Ivan*, Aleksei’s cellmate in the Georgian prison, had a similar fate. Both fled Russia within a few months of the start of the war, so they formed a bond.
After their convictions, the pair were told they had to leave Georgia or face being deported back to Russia. Neither of them wanted to be deported, so they moved to Yerevan instead.
‘I am not a terrorist. I work, I pay taxes in Georgia, I am useful to society. Me being in Georgia was a good thing for the country,’ Ivan told Metro.
‘I know nothing about Armenia – culture, language – nothing. I was prepared to settle in Georgia.’
Few options remain for Russians seeking to escape the Kremlin’s regime as Europe is continuing to tighten its borders.
Governments are apprehensive about security threats amid the mounting cases of sabotage and espionage, including arson attacks, bombings, and even assassination plots.
Olga Abramenko, of the Anti-Discrimination Centre Memorial (ADC), sees a a lot of issues related to the human rights of Russian activists and anti-war protestors in both non-visa countries – where they can enter without a visa – and other states.
She told Metro said it is ‘not easy’ to be a Russian immigrant, even in non-visa conditions, in nations formerly part of the Soviet Union, like Georgia, Armenia and Kazakhstan.
Olga said: ‘Armenia, for example, was friendly to Russians thinking that it will help their economy. The political context has changed since the start of the war and now Armenia is leaning towards European integration and they want to have closer ties with the US rather than Russia.
‘Of course, this has a major influence on Russian immigrants. In Georgia, there were many cases when anti-war activists were not allowed to enter the country as the ruling party is pro-Russian. So, people have had to find other routes.
‘In Kazakhstan, Russians are facing a different challenge. Authorities are refusing to renew their Russian bank cards, so people are forced to leave the country. So, even immigrating to former Soviet states is uncertain.’
Olga also said Russian authorities pressure former Soviet states to restrict the movements of Russian immigrants.
This influence is particularly sensitive for Central Asian countries, which are very much involved in labor migration to Russia.
‘That is why the government, for example, of Kyrgyzstan has to be, let’s say, loyal to Russia,’ she added.
‘There is also a big risk of extradition by request of Russia of activists who immigrate for instance to Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan. There have been such cases.’
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan an Armenia are also ‘not safe’ for dissidents due to extradition threats.
Olga described the political situation as ‘quite unpredictable’. Another step the Kremlin takes to curb the rights of Russian activists who flee abroad is stripping them of their citizenship.
ADC Memorial has observed some cases in which dissidents are ‘punished by the regime’ by having their internal ID, used to travel within Russia, and international passport cancelled, leaving them de facto stateless.
This means they cannot travel and seek help from a consulate anywhere in the world.
Olga estimated this has happened to at least ‘dozens’ of immigrants since 2022.
She said: ‘I don’t even know how to define this legally and whether it makes people stateless. All I can say is that they cannot exercise their right to free movement.’
Similar to Russia, its biggest ally – and neighbour – Belarus is also making an example of some activists abroad by cancelling their documents.
Olga said that some nations like Lithuania and Poland welcome Belarusian immigrants if their documents are no longer valid.
‘We would like to see such measures for Russians as well, but it is difficult because of the war.’
Vladimir Kara-Murza, one of the last surviving prominent opposition figures in Russia, said such ‘blanket bans’ imposed by the EU on his fellow citizens ‘make the Kremlin happy’.
Propagandists blasted on Russian radio ‘would have a field day’ every time new sanctions are announced, he said, recalling his days in a Siberian gulag when the only ‘entertainment’ prisoners were allowed was to listen to radio stations.
He said: ‘They would say, “We have been telling you, these Westerners are Russophobes, they do not hate Vladimir Putin, they hate all Russians”.
‘Such sanctions align with this message.’
Vladimir stressed that ‘nothing could be more counter-productive’ as such sanctions on travel do not affect the Russian president or his allies in the Kremlin.
Instead, it is independent journalists, human and civil rights activists, and in general, Russians who have condemned the war that are affected by the sanctions the most.
*In the interest of their safety, the names Aleksei and Ivan have been changed to protect their true identities.
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