俄羅斯打壓政策導致外出尋求庇護者猛增
A toughening of already draconian Kremlin policy on everything from gay rights to political activism are driving a record-high number of Russians to seek asylum in Europe and the United States, according to multiple Russia experts.
Responding to a recent RFE investigation of data compiled by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Russian political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin attributed the 40 percent uptick in Russian asylum seekers since 2017—the highest since earliest years of the post-Soviet era—to a dramatic tightening of restrictions on everything from social media dialogue to personal lifestyle choices.
He told VOA, "screws are tightening everywhere, citizens are already imprisoned for reposting on social networks."
Although last year's 2,664 new Russian asylum applications in the United States represent a 268-percent increase since 2012, EU immigration data show Germany alone saw 4,885 first time applicants, roughly a third of the 12,600 Russians who sought a toe-hold on the European continent.
While neither USCIS nor EU statistics disclose specific reasons that compel individual applicants to seek asylum, successful candidates must provide proof of an immediate threat to their well-being as a result of discrimination based on race, religion, sexual orientation or affiliation with particular social or political organizations.一些俄羅斯事務專家說，克里姆林宮針對從同性戀權益到政治活動的所有領域實施的嚴厲政策仍然在不斷強化，導致大批俄羅斯人前往歐洲和美國尋求庇護。
自由歐洲電臺最近對美國公民和移民服務局的數據進行了彙總。俄羅斯政治事務分析員奧列什金說，自從2017年以來，尋求庇護的俄羅斯人數上升了40%，達到前蘇聯剛解體以來的最高峯。俄羅斯政府對社交媒體的發帖和個人生活方式選擇都有十分嚴格的限制。
奧列什金對美國之音說：“方方面面的控制都在收緊，在社交媒體上轉發帖子的公民被關進監獄。”
2017年，有2664名俄羅斯人在美國申請庇護，是2012年人數的268%。而在歐洲，僅德國去年就有4885名俄羅斯人申請庇護，約佔全歐洲1萬2千600名尋求庇護的俄羅斯人的三分之一。
美國公民和移民服務局和歐盟都不透露尋求庇護的理由，但是成功獲得庇護的申請者必須證明他們由於種族、宗教、性取向或參加社交或政治團體而面臨危機人身安全的威脅。
