conflicts
Bamf examines procedures for Russian conscientious objectors
Russian recruits wait for a train after partial mobilization in the Volgograd region. photo
© -/AP/dpa
Since Putin’s partial mobilization, a number of men have been fleeing Russia to avoid military service in the Ukraine war. How should Germany deal with Russian deserters?
More than three weeks after the partial mobilization, there are still no new requirements for the admission of Russian conscientious objectors to Germany. The decision-making practice of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf) “is currently being reviewed,” said the federal government in response to a written question from MPs Clara Bünger (left).
On the other hand, the Bamf guidelines are clearer when it comes to deserters, i.e. soldiers who leave the troops without permission. “Deserters who do not want to take part in the war in Ukraine usually receive international protection,” the Federal Ministry of the Interior stated. The Bamf’s decision-making practice on this was adjusted accordingly after the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine on February 24.
Scholz: “I’m in favor of offering these people protection”
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered partial mobilization on September 21, almost seven months after the start of the war against Ukraine. At the end of September, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) said to the Chancellor with regard to Russian conscientious objectors: “I am in favor of offering these people protection”. Of course, they would have to go through a security check beforehand. The federal government had previously announced that it wanted to reach a common line at European level on how to deal with Russian conscientious objectors.
“When it comes to accepting deserters and conscientious objectors from Russia, the federal government makes nothing but empty promises,” criticized Bünger. The Chancellor and Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) must follow up their statements with concrete actions. A clear promise of protection is needed for conscientious objectors from Russia. Legal escape routes should also be opened up in the form of humanitarian visas.