Refugees and migrants in Russia

Draft. Compiled from human rights groups' guides but not yet reviewed by a lawyer. This is not legal advice — check the linked sources and consult a lawyer.

• If police take you to the enlistment office during a raid: ask for a summons for another date, note officers' names, film if you can. Running or using force is risky — these are separate offences.
• A Defence Ministry contract is voluntary only and effectively open-ended. Promises of citizenship, benefits or 'rear' duty are often broken; there is no legal basis for demanding a contract in exchange for documents.
• People with acquired Russian citizenship must register for military service and are threatened with losing citizenship. How to register without being drafted — see Call to Conscience's guide (also in Kyrgyz and Uzbek).
• If your stay has expired you're put on the register of controlled persons: no bank accounts, driving, marriage, deals or moving home. You come off it by regularising status or leaving.
• Where to turn: Civic Assistance Committee — refugee status and appeals; Call to Conscience — raids and recruitment.

current as of September 25. More: Call to Conscience: for migrants; First Department: the register of controlled persons (foreign agent)

Draft. Compiled from human rights groups' guides but not yet reviewed by a lawyer. This is not legal advice — check the linked sources and consult a lawyer.

• Helping to Leave volunteers help people leave occupied territories, or Russia where they were taken against their will, for free: bot @helpingtoleave_bot, hotline +380 93 177 64 58.
• Exit checks can be harsh: human rights groups advise removing photos and chats linked to the army or Ukrainian symbols from your phone beforehand and not carrying extra devices.
• For Ukrainians staying in Russia, the Civic Assistance Committee helps with documents, refugee status and temporary asylum.
• Russians who want to help Ukrainian prisoners of war or detainees: the prison service sees letters and transfers; human rights groups advise not using real details and not sending money to people on the 'terrorist' list.
• Crimea: the Crimean Human Rights Group and the Crimean Tatar Resource Centre track political prisoners — links in the Political prisoners section.

current as of September 25. More: Helping to Leave; First Department: I want to help Ukrainian POWs (foreign agent)