Germany ready to welcome Russians fleeing army draft

GERMANY is preparing to take in Russian dissidents refusing to fight in Ukraine after Vladimir Putin’s mobilisation sparked a mass exodus of militaryage men.

The German government said it would continue to offer political asylum to those who opposed the war, as the cost of air fares from Russia soared and border crossings with Finland and Georgia became jammed.

With thousands being arrested in Russia for taking part in anti-war demonstrations, Germany said it would be ready to take in more people after Mr Putin signalled 300,000 reservists could be called up.

Nancy Faeser, Berlin’s interior minister, said: “Deserters threatened with serious repression can, as a rule, obtain international protection in Germany.

“Anyone who courageously opposes Putin’s regime and thereby falls into great danger, can file for asylum on grounds of political persecution.”

She said the system for offering people shelter had been made “quick and unbureaucratic” but applicants would be subject to stringent security checks.

Marco Buschmann, the justice minister tweeted: “Apparently, many Russians are leaving their homeland – anyone who hates Putin’s path and loves liberal democracy is welcome in Germany.”

But Berlin appeared to be alone in its offer to shelter Russians facing conscription, with Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland shutting their borders with their neighbour.

Germany has already welcomed about a million Ukrainians fleeing the war as well as more than 400 Russians – most of them journalists critical of Mr Putin’s regime.

A spokesman for Britain’s Home Office said normal rules would apply for Russians applying for asylum in the United Kingdom.