Growing number of Russians and Ukrainians seek asylum at U.S. border

A large number of Ukrainians and Russians are traveling to Mexico in an attempt to make it to the U.S. to seek asylum. The number is expected to grow as more people attempt to leave both countries after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, reported Reuters.

U.S. border officials intercepted over 6,400 Russians between October 2021 and January of this year, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data show. The figure is a jump from the 4,100 Russians captured in the 2021 fiscal year.

Most of the Russians seeking asylum in the U.S. were fleeing conscription and political persecution by Vladimir Putin’s government, reports the Daily Mail.

CBP data also shows an increase in the number of Ukrainians intercepted at the border. From October t to January, 1,000 Ukrainians were apprehended, compared to 680 for the entire 2021 fiscal year.

Since June, Russians have been among the top three nationalities at the San Diego shelter, reported Reuters citing data from the San Diego Rapid Response Network. Similarly, beginning last week, Ukrainians were among the most common nationalities arriving in the U.S.

The number of Russians and Ukrainians seeking refuge in the U.S. is expected to grow as Russia continues its attack against Ukraine.

In only seven days, the number of Ukrainians fleeing their war-torn country reached 1 million, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

“And unless there is an immediate end to the conflict, millions more are likely to be forced to flee Ukraine,” said the agency.

Despite efforts from Ukraine’s neighboring countries to accept refugees, the large number of those fleeing will likely push this migration towards other places.

“When the situation in Ukraine broke out, I had hundreds of emails and calls from both sides – from Ukrainians, which is understandable but also from Russian people who are scared,” immigration lawyer Ekaterina Mouratova told the Daily Mail.

“They're scared Russia is going to become the next Cuba,” she added.