South Korea witnesses surge in Russian asylum seekers

South Korea has recently experienced a remarkable surge in asylum seekers from Russia, with the number of applications increasing fivefold in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to the Korean Immigration Service.

The Immigration Service reported a total of 5,750 Russian nationals seeking it in 2023, making them the largest group seeking refuge in South Korea. This surge surpasses the cumulative asylum applications from Russians recorded between 1994 and 2019. Overall, 2023 marked the highest number of asylum applications in the past eight years.

Diverse Origins of Asylum Seekers

Apart from Russians, other significant groups seeking asylum in South Korea hail from Kazakhstan, China, and Malaysia. This trend has continued into the current year, with Russians remaining the largest group seeking asylum in January.

Motivations Behind Applications

Asylum seekers have cited various reasons for seeking refuge, including persecution based on religion and political beliefs, along with discrimination based on social group, race, or nationality, as reported by CNN.

South Korea maintains strict immigration laws, including those related to asylum requests. However, only a fraction of applicants have been recognized as refugees over the past three decades. Out of over 103,000 asylum applications, a mere 4,052 individuals have been granted refugee status.

The spotlight on Russian nationals seeking asylum intensified after the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine, prompting hundreds of thousands to flee Russia, particularly to evade military conscription.

Stranded at Incheon International Airport

In a notable incident in 2022, five Russian men found themselves stranded at Incheon International Airport near Seoul as they attempted to avoid Moscow's military mobilization order for the war. Despite their plight, the South Korean Justice Ministry rejected their refugee status applications, leaving them in limbo at the airport.

Similar trends have been observed globally, with data from United States border authorities indicating a surge in encounters with Russian citizens following Moscow's military draft in September 2022. From October 2022 to February 2023, nearly 22,000 Russians attempted to enter the US through the country's southern border, according to data from US Customs and Border Protection.

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