Yuri Kobzar19:09, 28.07.24

Even before the war, Argentina had a large Ukrainian diaspora, but there was no Russian one.

Due to economic problems, dictatorship and the constant threat of forced conscription to the front, hundreds of thousands of citizens have fled Russia since the start of the full-scale war. Many of them eventually settled in Brazil and Argentina , where immigration laws are relatively relaxed, writes The Wall Street Journal .

Russian political migrants are settling primarily in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires and the Brazilian coastal city of Florianopolis, in the far south of the country. The newcomers have opened Russian-language beauty salons, restaurants, kindergartens and small theaters. Others are digital nomads who work in Russian and are paid in foreign currency or cryptocurrency.

Brazil’s neutral stance on the invasion of Ukraine, coupled with Brazil’s noticeable lack of interest in the war, made it easier for Russians to settle here.

According to government data, about 60,000 Russian citizens entered Brazil from early March 2022 to the end of last year. They invested more than $300 million, mostly in real estate. About 36,000 Ukrainians also arrived in Brazil during the same period, many of whom also settled in the south, which has a cooler climate and lower crime rate than Rio or Sao Paolo.

The first wave of Russians to flood into Latin America included pregnant women heading to Argentina, which offers immediate citizenship to newborns and temporary residency and work permits for their parents. Brazil also offers benefits to new parents, allowing immigrants to apply for citizenship after the birth of a child in the country.

In addition, passports of Argentina and Brazil open the borders of many countries, including Europe, which are closed to Russian citizens, including because of the war in Ukraine.

“The ease of obtaining citizenship in South American countries has caught the attention of Western officials after it was discovered that Russian spies were creating fake identities in Argentina to spy on Europe,” the WSJ notes.

More than 75,000 Russians have come to Argentina since the war began, according to government migration data. During the same period, about 11,000 Ukrainians have also come to Argentina. Incidentally, a large Ukrainian diaspora has lived here since the 19th century, sending medicine, clothing and other aid to Ukraine since the war began.

In Buenos Aires, newly arrived Russians have little contact with the established Ukrainian community, said Jorge Danylyshyn, chairman of the Ukrainian Cultural Association in Argentina. Although some have joined anti-war protests in front of the Russian Embassy, ​​most immigrants are reluctant to join the anti-war movement.

“They stop in front of our organization’s door, read the protest signs we put up, and keep going,” Danylyshyn said. Still, there is no tension between the groups, he said. “The conflict is in Ukraine, not Argentina.”

Argentina’s economic crisis has given some Russians the opportunity to buy apartments at reduced prices. Local real estate agents say Russians were one of the largest groups of foreign buyers last year.

(C)UNIAN 2024