Many Russians strive to receive asylum in the United States because of the political oppression in Russia. If you are against the political forces in Russia, you may be persecuted for your opinion. And you may want to find for a safe place in other country to live.
Lately, when Russians simply participated in peaceful public protests against violations of international agreements, the Russian authorities treated those people as betrayers of the nation. Supporters of Ukraine and Syria in Russia were thrown to jail and tortured. Russia even recently used a chemical substance on the territory of Great Britain in a bid to kill a former Russian spy.
Besides putting pressure on political opponents, the Russian government showed zero tolerance to the LGBT community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender). If you belong to this community in Russia, you also may be thrown to jail.
Asylum for Russians in the United States
Another group of people that are often persecuted in Russia is minority nationals. For instance, tatars are deported and persecuted in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. The cultural rights of minorities in Crimea are restricted by the Russian government.
If you were tortured or persecuted by the Russians authorities for the reasons mentioned above, you may look for shelter in another country. The U.S. is the most popular choice because the country exhibits high tolerance towards various groups of people.
You only need to enter the U.S. and file the application for asylum with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Once your application is approved, you will be able to stay in the U.S. indefinitely.
During the asylum process, you will have to pass the interview with the asylum officer and overall prove that you are eligible for asylum. Note that you may qualify for asylum in the U.S. for other reasons than we mentioned as well.
You should also know that because of the latest changes to U.S. immigration laws, it is more difficult to receive asylum in the United States. Trump administration implemented several important changes, and the U.S. authorities responsible for immigration are now even more strict when they estimate the asylum applicant’s cases. Put simply, you may be deported if USCIS or the immigration judge do not believe your true motives for arriving to the U.S.
To improve your chances for receiving asylum, we recommend that you hire a professional immigration lawyer. A lawyer will help you prepare your story and protect your interests during the interview or hearings in the Immigration Court.