The Netherlands is introducing a six-month moratorium on accepting asylum applications from Russian conscripts. This was reported in an official statement from the country's Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND). The agency said that at the moment “there is little information on the extent to which conscripts in Russia were forcibly involved in the war in Ukraine”, so “carefully decide on asylum applications for Russian conscripts aged 18 to 27 years does not seem possible". A general report on the situation with mobilization in the Russian Federation is expected in the first quarter of 2023, it "can bring more clarity to this issue."
The decision and the moratorium on departure do not apply to deserted Russian professional servicemen. The same applies to persons who claim to be afraid of mobilization. The asylum is now stopped, as "the Russian Defense Minister announced the end of mobilization and instructed military units to stop mobilization work from October 31."
At the same time, from December 29, a six-month moratorium on the departure from the country of those who are already in the Netherlands is being extended.
“The decision not to deport temporarily and not decide on asylum applications is called a decision and exit moratorium. In this case, it refers to Russian conscripts who refuse military service or desert because of the war in Ukraine. This group includes all Russian men between the ages of 18 and 27 who are called up for military service,” the statement said.
The agency also notes that “after the imposition of a moratorium on departure, Russian foreign citizens who have exhausted all legal remedies and are subject to this moratorium will not be required to return to Russia or be subjected to forced deportation, they will be provided with shelter and other opportunities.”