It Pays To Leave Russia -- Catherine A. Traywick, Passport/Foreign Policy
Crimeans may very well wish to be a part of the Russian Federation, but plenty of Russian citizens want out of it.
The number of asylum seekers hailing from Russia quadrupled during 2013, reaching a record 39,800 individuals, according to a report released Thursday by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). More people from Russia sought international protection last year than those from Afghanistan (38,700) and Iraq (38,200). Only Syria -- a country wracked by a brutal, years-old civil war -- produced more asylum seekers than Russia in 2013.
The UNHCR report doesn't dig into the reasons behind this dramatic spike in asylum seekers from Russia, but news reports over the last year point to a few possible factors, including rising anti-gay sentiment. Last year, Moscow enacted new laws banning "homosexual propaganda" and adoptions by same-sex couples, fueling a small but visible surge in Russian asylum seekers, according to the Wall Street Journal. Many sought protection in the U.S. and Canada, on the grounds that they were being persecuted for their sexual orientation.
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My Comment: Ouch!!!! This story hits me personally .... for I am a former Soviet/Russian citizen who is now a Canadian citizen. Are these Russian asylum seekers fleeing persecution .... for most of them no. Most (if not all of them) are pursuing a better life .... and once they have attained that goal .... they try their best to enjoy both worlds. In my own case .... I love the West .... and I love living in Canada. I hate the Canadian taxes that I must pay (Russia's tax structure is infinitely better) .... but I do get other benefits that balances everything out. And when I miss Mother Russia .... no problem .... I just hop on a plane and I will be at my favorite restaurant in Moscow within 12 hours.
Stories like my own (and many others) have made it back to Russia .... hence the rush to leave Russia .... to pursue that dream. In the 24 years that I have been living in Montreal .... I have seen the Russian community explode from 3,000 to the present 80,000 number. My brother lives in San Mateo (San Francisco) .... and the Russian community there has exploded even more. Google founder Sergey Brin .... who was was born in Moscow and now resides in the Bay Area .... has become the poster child for many in Russia of what is possible in the U.S. .... a dream that I can assure you that many Russians want .... and are rushing to grab it.
7 comments:
C'mon, two hundredths of one percent of Russians leaving annually? And comparing with countries with one-fifth the population?
As for Catherine A. Traywick, any anti-Russia screed is now publishable, especially by State-friendly Foreign Policy.
Anti-China will soon be in favor again, count on it.
Over the years I have gotten over the anti-Russian reports from the news media .... I guess I have a thick skin. Now in regards to China .... my advice to the U.S. is be careful .... their skin is not as thick. :)
The emigrees will catch the new patriotic beat and no doubt many of those Russians will be moving back from Montreal and other locales now that the Soviet Syndrome is defeated.
You go, Vlad.
Population decline says more about life in Russia than emigration.
I'm curious about your statement of Russia's tax structure vs Canada. Can you give a simplified example?
I am at the top tax bracket. I have an accountant and I pay (federal and provincial) over 50%. In Russia .... the tax form is one page .... I would list what I have earned .... add it up and then send 12.5% to Moscow (unless of course that has changed in the past few years .... which I hope it has not).
Thanks.
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