Serbia starts revoking residency permits for Russian migrants

As Serbia revokes permits and imposes bans, Russian activists in the Balkans fear repercussions for speaking out against Russia’s actions in Ukraine amid growing ties between Serbia’s president and Putin

Over the past few years, Serbia has welcomed tens of thousands of Russians seeking refuge from President Vladimir Putin’s government and the conflict in Ukraine. Now, Russian pro-democracy activists in the Balkan nation report that at least a dozen individuals have recently encountered entry bans or had their residency permits revoked on grounds of posing a security risk to Serbia.

According to an Associated Press article, a 54-year-old Russian woman named Elena Koposova is challenging an expulsion order after Serbian authorities deemed her a threat to national security and revoked her residency permit. Koposova believes this action stems from her endorsement of an open letter condemning Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Anti-war Russians are hesitant to discuss their legal issues with Serbian authorities publicly, fearing it could jeopardize their chances of staying in the country with their families.

Human rights advocates highlight these residency challenges as indicative of a close relationship between Serbia’s increasingly authoritarian president, Aleksandar Vucic, and Putin, despite Serbia’s formal aspirations to join the European Union. Vucic has refrained from endorsing Western sanctions against Russia, while allowing Moscow’s propaganda outlets such as RT and Sputnik to propagate their narratives across the Balkans.

Since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine two years ago, many Russians have sought refuge in Serbia due to its visa-free entry, viewing the friendly Balkan state as a potential gateway to emigration to the West.

Serbia and Russia share deep historical ties, rooted in centuries of common Slavic heritage and Orthodox Christian faith. Russia has backed Serbia’s efforts to maintain its claim on Kosovo, a former province that declared independence in 2008 with Western support.

Source: Newsroom

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