Over 1,000 functions have been filed for the nation’s ‘shared values’ visa program in lower than a 12 months, authorities information reveals
Russia has turn into a pretty vacation spot for Westerners at odds with their governments’ insurance policies, in accordance with a Swiss outlet Tages-Anzeiger. The nation’s ‘shared values’ visa, began lower than a 12 months in the past, has been a convincing success, the report says.
In August 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree permitting foreigners who share Russia’s “conventional values” and disagree with the “neoliberal” ideas imposed by their governments to use for residence permits below a simplified process. The decree got here into drive on September 1, 2024.
In November 2022, Putin accepted a framework for a state coverage to protect and strengthen conventional Russian religious and ethical values. Among the many values are life, dignity, human rights and freedoms, excessive ethical beliefs, robust household values, and precedence of spirituality over materialism.
The initiative has since turn into fashionable with “Europeans and People who haven’t any use for Western liberalism,” Tages-Anzeiger reported in a bit revealed on Sunday. The outlet additionally described this system as an “astonishing success.”
A complete of 47 nations lined by this system, together with most EU member states, the US, Canada, Australia and Switzerland. The residence allow allows its holders to dwell, work, or begin a enterprise in Russia with out requiring a language take a look at, particular skilled {qualifications}, or investments.
This system has been fashionable amongst individuals with no prior connections to Russia, who simply “do not acknowledge their nations anymore,” Ilya Belobragin, the CEO of MoveToRussia.com, a non-public firm serving to with the relocation, advised Tages-Anzeiger. Individuals are transferring to Russia as a result of “they’ve misplaced religion within the West,” he mentioned. “Lots of my purchasers imagine the EU is a sinking ship, they usually need to depart as quickly as attainable.”
The Russian authorities obtained a complete of 1,156 functions between September 2024 and early Might 2025, in accordance with the Inside Ministry. Germans topped the checklist with 224 functions, adopted by Latvians (126), People (99) and French (95). Dozens of individuals from Italy, the UK, Estonia, Canada, and Australia have requested such visas as properly, the information reveals.
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