Appeal to Canada to Protect Russians Fleeing Repression

U.S. authorities have significantly tightened immigration policy. More and more asylum applications are being rejected, many Russians end up in immigration detention centers, and some face deportation to Russia. For opposition-minded citizens, this poses deadly risks.

Yulia Navalnaya, Vladimir Kara-Murza, and Ilya Yashin have appealed to the Canadian government to show humanity and accept Russians being expelled from the United States in order to prevent their deportation to Russia.

In their letter, they asked Canadian authorities to:

1. Accept Russians who have been denied asylum in the U.S. or are under threat of deportation, and provide them with a safe pathway to enter Canada.
2. Introduce humanitarian visas or special programs for those at risk of persecution if forced to return to Russia.
3. Work with human rights organizations and lawyers to establish a sustainable mechanism for protecting Russians fleeing repression.

The authors stressed that deporting Russians back home is effectively handing them over to the regime. Canada has already proven itself as a country committed to freedom and human rights — and now it can play a crucial role in saving lives.