Germany: the ruling coalition divided on the reception of Russian conscientious objectors
Cars line up at the Vaalimaa border crossing to enter Finland from Russia on September 25, 2022 (illustration).
AP - Jussi Nukari
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Since the announcement by Vladimir Putin of the partial mobilization, the question of the reception of Russian conscientious objectors has divided the coalition in power in Germany.
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Since the announcement of the partial mobilization last week, tweets have multiplied within the German coalition in favor of welcoming Russian conscientious objectors.
The Ministry of the Interior in the hands of the Social Democrats nevertheless remains inflexible: there is
no question of welcoming Russian fugitives
who are already in a third country, such as Turkey or Georgia.
Russia's recruitment of its reserves, conducted at times chaotically, has caused many Russians to flee.
Moscow has recorded 260,000 departures since the signing of the mobilization decree by Vladimir Putin on September 21.
This exodus was confirmed on Tuesday by two neighboring countries, Georgia and Kazakhstan.
Nearly 100,000 Russians would have found refuge there
in one week.
An influx is also seen at the borders of Finland, where 17,000 Russians fled last weekend.
But in Germany, the procedures for political asylum are clear, recalls our correspondent in Berlin,
Nathalie Versieux
.
They provide that the application must be filed from Germany, a principle which
de facto
closes the door to Russian conscientious objectors, while direct air links are cut between the two countries.
Beyond the messages of sympathy, Germany fears that spies will mingle with a potential flood of Russian refugees.
Berlin therefore contents itself with half-opening the door.
Since the invasion of Ukraine, Germany has received only some 450 hand-picked opponents of Vladimir Putin's regime.
Within the coalition, however, the Greens and the Liberals are asking the government to soften its position.
For the Minister, it is at 27, within the EU, that a solution will have to be found.
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