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| 'Leave As Soon As Possible': New Conscription Law Raises Fresh Fears Of Mobilization At Home And Abroad |
| 2023-04-20 |
| [Radio Free Europe] A new bill signed into law by Russian President Vladimir Putin that allows authorities to issue electronic notices to draftees and reservists is sparking fears of a new wave of mobilization for Moscow's war in Ukraine and prompting fresh conversations among Russians about leaving the country. When the Kremlin announced a partial mobilization of reservists in September as part of a drive to call up some 300,000 new personnel to fight in Ukraine, the decision led to a mass exodus of military-age Russian men and their families. Hundreds of thousands of Russians left to neighboring countries and other locations that had few entry requirements and allowed them to live and work for extended periods of time in order to avoid the draft. But as anxiety over another mobilization wave looms more than seven months later, Russians looking to avoid getting caught up in the war in Ukraine are facing a more difficult path ahead, including policies that could make it harder to leave the country and visa changes in many destinations that will limit Russians' ability to stay abroad for longer periods. "The universal advice is to leave as soon as possible," Ivan Pavlov, head of the human rights group First Department, told Current Time, a Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, adding that the new law could give military planners a mechanism for quickly beefing up their ranks in preparation for a new Ukrainian attack. The new April 14 law modifies Russia's military service rules that previously required the in-person delivery of notices to conscripts and reservists who are called up for duty. Now, the notices issued by local military conscription offices will also be sent electronically and be considered valid from the moment they are put on a state portal for electronic services, known as Gosuslugi. The law will also set up an electronic registry of all people required to serve and collect their personal data while creating a public list of all those who have been summoned for military service. Unlike in September, however, fleeing abroad is not as straightforward of a process as before, with the list of possible countries to receive Russian citizens shrinking. Popular destinations like Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Argentina have changed their laws and made it more difficult to establish residency and cut down the period that Russians can remain without a visa. Elsewhere, many European Union countries close to Russia -- such as the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland -- have also restricted issuing visas and entry to its citizens. |
| Posted by:Helmuth, Speaking for Sholugum453 |