Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova lied, claiming that residents of Western countries are “massively seeking to move to russia”. This was reported by the Telegram channel The Moscow Times.

“Our embassies, our consulates are literally overwhelmed with requests for either visas, residence permits, or assistance in relocation to preserve themselves as representatives and bearers of traditional values”, – Zakharova said at the so-called St. Petersburg International Legal Forum during a session on “Protecting Traditional Values. Us and Them”.

According to Zakharova, the foundation of state policy, ideology, and philosophy in most countries is based on “traditional values”, but “we need to look from another angle”, as there are countries where “a huge number of people” live “under the oppression of liberal democracies” and “are trying to resist it”.

However, according to the report, official statistics indicate that the number of people wishing to obtain a russian passport has been steadily declining in recent years. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of russia, in the first 10 months of 2023, 50% fewer foreigners received russian passports compared to the same period in 2022. Specifically, from January to October 2022, 595.3 thousand people obtained russian citizenship, while in the same period in 2021, 609.9 thousand people did. The statistics include all foreigners who acquired russian citizenship, including those from former Soviet republics.

As reported, russia has captured 10,000 migrants who obtained russian citizenship and sent them to fight in the war against Ukraine.

(C)OSTROV 2024