They are technically Immigrants without papers. But they are not immigrants without more. If they leave Spain, they risk being arrested and deported back to Russia, where, at best, they would end up in prison for several years.
What do they do here?
Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, explained at the time: “We also made the decision not to close, not to block completely, thinking of members of NGOs, human rights defenders, in journalists who are playing their lives, because it is not like manifesting in Madrid or in Europe. It can cost you life or, at least, many years in jail. Therefore, they have to have a place among us. “
Months after these statements – pronounced in autumn of 2022 -, high positions from the Foreign Ministry contacted a group of Russian activists and journalists exiled in Georgia. Among them was Egor Kuroptev, leader of a foundation forbidden by Kremlin, who spoke on the name of all.
“They offered us Humanitarian residence permits And they gave us a few as a test, to verify that the process could work, “explains Egor.
The Foreigner law in Spain Contemplate a quick route for this type of case. For almost a year the group profiles were reviewed one by one, the documents were examined and the processing of the previous authorizations to travel to Spain from several consulates abroad was prepared. “We had even recommended that, when they arrived at the immigration department, we opened chatgpt and we had a text prepared. Until that detail. We would not have taken a single step without having 100% guarantees,” Egor recalls.
But, when he arrived, everything was twisted
“As we arrived, we said: ‘Hello, we are here, can we begin, please, the next phase of the process?’ The International protection —The political asylum – is a complex process that can take years, if it becomes favorably resolved. Meanwhile, applicants are trapped in a legal limbo, without full rights or certainties about their future.
Egor insists that his words should not be interpreted as a reproach to the Spanish government. His, he says, is simply a call for help. A desperate attempt to get out of an unsustainable situation.
Cases like yours are not new. It has already happened with Afghan and Ukrainian refugees, whose situation was resolved, in part, by a matter of political will. Therefore, this medium has consulted the Foreign Ministry to know if there are news or alternative solutions under study. The Extremadura Senator José Antonio Monago has also raised the issue in writing in the Upper House. He has not received an answer yet. We, at the moment, either.
