From Migrants to Minorities. Are Russian ‘relocants’ a new minority?

The Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, triggered a substantial wave of emigration from Russia, driven by safety concerns, political dissent, and economic instability. While some host countries have adopted welcoming policies for the new Russian emigrés, others have imposed stricter regulations citing security concerns and shared difficult pasts. Despite these measures, many Russians abroad remain in a legal gray area, frequently resorting to visa runs to maintain their stay, and facing discrimination in some contexts; hereby, there is a pressing need for nuanced legal and social responses from the host countries. To approach this task, the paper applies the concept ‘new minorities’ to Russian nationals who left their homeland after the start of invasion of Ukraine.

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https://works.eurac.edu/DiGoP-02-2024-ilya-lomakin-from-migrants-to-minorities.pdf