To hope that we welcome men fleeing Russia

[MindYourBeeswax]

Many are fleeing Putin's Press Gangs.
The EU Council President has recommended that the EU offer them asylum.

It must be bloody terrifying and, although we're not in the EU longer, I hope that this government follow his example and offer sanctuary as we have done for fleeing Ukrainians.

I know that they will be young men and not need to live with families in the same way that Ukrainian women and children did so although that would be ideal, it's not essential and hostels/hotels could be used.

Will you offer a home if asked? I can't but I would like to help in some way.
AIBU to hope that we will help these fleeing Russians?

Disagree with that, the FSB is alive and kicking, they have killed and poisoned dozens in the West (let alone in Russia) laundered money across the world, esp London and have control over their population in way the KGB could only have dreamed of.

The huge weapon Russia has is that they are rich in raw materials that we desperately need.

Under estimate Russia and its long reach at our peril.

This. But I do have sympathy because there really is pretty much nowhere.
And it really doesn't do much for race relations when refugees get housed ahead of people who've been on the waiting list for years.

I know. Appalling.
And then of course his cronies had their holiday camps there too.

Wouldn’t happen nowadays - they just leave them in their Belgravia Mansions in Londiningrad.

I didn’t say they didn’t have anything, just that it’s not quite like the KGB was.

And it isn’t.

But it is escalating, and yes I agree, underestimate at our peril indeed.

I found a fascinating article about this - Russian resources.

I’ll try to find it and link it here.

They do indeed have resources we need, no question.

But what they are starting to realise is that it’s simply not enough.

When the whole world (bar the usual culprits) place sanctions and trade embargoes, it is quite rightly devastating.

I honestly watch all this with profound sadness, but also with deep curiosity as to how this will pan out.

Russia are to not put to fine a point on it, in very serious trouble.

I (and this is just my opinion) feel it’s just a matter of time before his top generals turn.

What that then means, who knows, but his actions are absolutely those of a desperate, dying despot who is clinging on for dear life.

Smallprawnenergy - But as well as housing these Russian mem would need feeding, access to Drs. and dentists, keeping warm and clothing. Who is going to pay for that?

If these men don't want to fight they should rise up against the regime in their country, and help put a stop to the war.

Agree, look at what Iranian women are doing? they aren't facing 5 or 10 years in jail but are being killed in their droves right now, not fleeing.

Terrible decisions have to made but taking in Russian ex soldiers is crazy.

You make it sound so easy. You do know what happens to protesters in Russia don't you?

I just get sick of Europe having to be the mop and bucket so to speak for the worlds problems.

@Qwerkie that horrendous misogyny is my concern regarding many migrants the majority of which are always men.

I’d they were so against it, they could have left before to became a problem… to them.

They didn’t and that’s because many supper Putin.

And for those who don’t but somehow couldn’t have tried to leave months ago, how would we reasonably be able to identify them all, with all the same story!

No thanks!

Bloody typos!
Sorry!

Support not supper.
Before it became a problem

Don't most people seek asylum when conditions become a problem to them and not before? That seems pretty normal.

This is the issue many Russians are facing – they are being conscripted. However I agree with other posters in that there are many people who need our help and they’re already here, people who have been driven from their homes by wars our country was quite happy to get involved with. However, I disagree with posters saying Russians are the enemy – they are not. Putin and his government may be the enemy, but normal Russians are just human beings like us. Hating people for their nationality - there’s a name for that.

I don’t think anyone has called Russians the enemy. But there are raised eyebrows about ‘so now you disagree with this war 🤨’

Russia clearly hates the UK, it makes no bones about that and is obviously a matter of public record.

The Putin regime has a lot of support.

Especially in the younger ages, who are trying to flee.

How would we know who was who and why should we even bother to find out?

There’s a name for being concerned about that - National Security.

And also basic common sense in that we have enough issues here and many other people who we actually owe help to, to sort our first.

Ans being wary of people for their political views is not the same as outright Russian Xenophobia.

Behave FGS.

Sigh. Of course they do. But most violent and sexual crime is committed by men.

We won’t be

its selective in who we are so welcoming too and Russian men are not on the list

Very much this.

Just sometimes we are allowed to say "not our problem". I feel no moral obligation to fit young men who could have tried to leave Russia between 24/2 and this week, if they opposed the war. Put crudely, shit just got real for them and their motives for leaving appear entirely based on not personally wanting to be put in harm's way.

This goes alongside what has already been pointed out, that we would have no effective way of determining who among them is fundamentally harmless and who is actively working for the Putin regime, the one threatening to nuke us on a practically weekly basis.

So their tanking economy, reduced prospects, threat of conscription, threat of political imprisonment etc wasn’t a problem to them before now?! When they are asked to fight all of the above is now it’s suddenly a problem.

People have claimed and been granted asylum for far less.

This.
Absolute madness!

Occam’s Razor people!

Occam’s bloody razor!

They are now only leaving because they have to bear arms and fight- not because they don’t support the war!

Stuff them.

They’re better off being left in Russia and taking down their own government.

But the majority don't think it's unjust.

They just want their own minorities to do the fighting

Someone (it might have been Bellingcat) called up Peskov's son pretending to be from the mobilisation office. Guess the reaction

Hopefully we are not going to end up being in anything lie the situation Ukraine was in during the Spring (Transition to War) but some might find this of interest:

static.rusi.org/special-report-202202-ukraine-web.pdf

Comments about the activities of military intelligence (GU) on page 11 of the document:

"The Russians are also laying the groundwork for spreading chaos across Ukraine through direct action. Ukrainian assessments of GU strength vary, but there is believed to be around two companies of Russian covert special forces operating in Kyiv. For the Ukrainian security forces there is a significant risk at protests that Russian agent provocateurs – disguised as demonstrators
or police officers – will initiate acts of violence."

The KGB, now FSB, have previous, we certainly cannot be saying "all are welcome" to evert Russian of fighting age.