Russians Massively Leaving Turkey

What is the reason?

Tens of thousands of Russians who fled to Turkey after Russia's invasion of Ukraine have moved to other countries over the past year due to problems in obtaining residence permits, high prices and difficulties in obtaining banking services due to sanctions.

This was reported by Reuters.

The number of Russians with residence permits in Turkey fell to 96,000 this month, one-third less than the 154,000 at the end of 2022, official data showed.

Russian citizens have been complaining of difficulties in obtaining residence permits since the start of 2023. In a conversation with the agency, they said that obtaining a document now costs about $2,000.

They also call the reason for moving the rapid growth of costs - inflation in Turkey reached 70% last month. In addition, as a result of the sanctions, Russians are experiencing difficulties in obtaining basic banking services in Turkey.

Turkey's Migration Directorate said that all rejected residence permit applications include justification in the foreigners' native language in accordance with the laws, and that applicants are free to pursue legal remedies.

Mass Exodus of Russians from the Russian Federation

The mass exodus of Russians from the Russian Federation began after Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced mobilisation for war against Ukraine in September 2022.

The Kremlin has not released any information about the flight, but the Danish Refugee Council's Centre for Mixed Migration says about 800,000 Russian citizens have moved abroad since the invasion of Ukraine.