Russians who have fled mobilization may be granted asylum in France. This decision was made by the country’s National Refugee Court (CNDA).
The ruling specifies that those Russians who evaded mobilization and conscription or deserted from the army are entitled to refugee status. At the same time, the mere fact of being in the reserve is not considered sufficient grounds for granting asylum.
In its decision, the CNDA refers to the EU directive of December 13, 2011. It states that refugee status can be granted to a person facing prosecution for refusing to serve in a conflict where war crimes may have been committed.
The court concluded that the Russians mobilized into the army should be considered as directly or indirectly incited to commit war crimes in Ukraine. The court also drew attention to the fact that it was impossible to refuse the conscription announced by Vladimir Putin, including by choosing alternative service.
In order to obtain asylum, an applicant must provide evidence that he or she is indeed subject to forced conscription or mobilization and that refusal of military service is the only way to avoid participation in the alleged war crimes.
Refugees in France are entitled to an allowance (ADA). It consists of a payment of €6.80 per day for the first adult and €3.40 for each additional person, as well as an accommodation allowance of €7.40 per adult.
Earlier, more than 60 Russian and international organizations asked the EU authorities to start providing asylum and protection to Russians who refused to participate in the military invasion.
On the eve it was reported that the paratrooper Pavel Filatiev, who fought in Ukraine, received political asylum in France. He was wounded and then managed to quit the army. After that, Filatiev published a book ZOV, in which he criticized the Russian military command and spoke about the soldiers’ everyday life.
