2023-10-13 20:38:00
Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, some 86,589 visas have been issued to citizens of the Russian Federation by Bulgaria. “Only 697 were refused,” indicates the Bulgarian daily Segarelayed by Courrier international. These figures, obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, should be qualified, because Bulgaria is a very popular destination for Russians. They are also lower than those of previous years.
However, this country was chosen by many Russians wishing to avoid the consequences of the war. According to the daily’s information, the majority of Russians who have obtained a Bulgarian visa are eligible citizens who fled with their families. “In March 2022, the month following the start of Russian aggression, 4,585 visas were issued,” continues Sega, a very high figure for a month outside the tourist season. Then, in the fall of 2022, the period marking the start of the “partial mobilization” decreed in Russia on September 21, 2022, applications exploded: 9,265 visas issued in September, compared to 5,764 visas issued in August.
A new peak in June 2023
Sega points to a third period during which visa applications were on the rise. From January to April 2023, the number of visa applications varied between 3,000 and 5,000. Before exploding again in the summer, when the Russian government introduced electronic constituency and banned conscientious objectors from taking out loans, leave Russia or sell real estate. Thus, visa applications doubled in May (8,986) compared to the previous month (4,830). Then, in June, 10,239 Russians were granted visas.
READ ALSO “The goal of the Russian army is no longer to win, but not to lose” In July, requests fell to around 7,000, the level of September 2022. “It is likely that this is still the case today, because the restrictions imposed on Russians of draft age continue to multiply. In mid-July, for example, the Russian Parliament raised the conscription age by five years. And, at the end of the same month, Vladimir Putin signed a law imposing new fines on people who try to evade military service,” concludes Sega.
#Russians #applied #Bulgarian #visa