Russian embassies and consulates are experiencing an “influx” in number of requests for visas, according to the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.
Zakharova has often been recognised, including by the US authorities, as an enthusiastic purveyor of Russia’s disinformation and propaganda, VisaGuide.World reports.
According to her, people are “killing” in order to live in Russia, as reported by MSN.
Russian embassies and consulates are overwhelmed with requests from foreigners seeking help to move to the Russian Federation. They carry traditional values and do not want to be under the yoke of liberal democracy.
Soon after, the Ukrainian politician Anton Herashchenko, reacted to Zakharova’s claims through a post on his “X” platform account.
Dear followers, have you noticed any floods of people wishing to move to Russia from the ‘oppression of liberal democracies?
Almost 850,000 Visas Issued by Russia in 2023
The figures provided by the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department revealed that in 2023, Russian embassies and consulates issued about 850,000 visas to internationals, marking an increase compared to 512,000 issued in 2022.
Statistics from the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department noted that 74 per cent of applicants sought short-term visas for tourist, private, business and humanitarian cooperation trips, while 14 per cent applied for student visas and nine per cent for work visas.
The largest number of Russian visas were requested in Asia (45 per cent), while around a quarter of applicants (26 per cent) contacted our missions in European countries and another 16 per cent in Africa and the Middle and Near East.
Besides, the data from the Russian Consular Department, revealed that in 2023, the number of diplomatic visas issued was 447, accounting for the lowest record of such visas in the last decade.
The Department said that the number of diplomatic visas issued last year was 6.6 per cent below those registered in the preceding year, when 479 visas were issued.
Schengen Visa Applications From Russians Down by 24% Last Year
In 2023, nationals of Russia submitted 520,387 visa applications, accounting for the fifth-largest source of applications for the year.
When it comes to Schengen visas, applications from Russian nationals decreased significantly, nearly as low as those registered during the COVID-19 pandemic (536,241).
In comparison to 2022, citizens