TRENTON, Canada
A trio of Russian dissidents wrote Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, asking him to take in hundreds of their countrymen in danger of being deported back to Russia by the Trump government, media reported Wednesday.
The “opposition-minded” Russians fled to the US seeking asylum after protesting the Putin regime, but are now held by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Although they entered the US legally, most of the asylum seekers have had their claims denied as US President Donald Trump continues his policy to deport immigrants.
The detainees were caught up in the change of administrations to Trump from former President Joe Biden.
“Unfortunately, following the change of administration in the White House, the situation for our compatriots has significantly worsened,” according to the letter that was shared with the Globe and Mail newspaper.
It is signed by Vladimir Kara-Murza, Ilya Yashin and Yulia Navalnaya, widow of prominent Russian dissident Alexey Navalny.
“Today, many Russian citizens who have applied for asylum in the United States are being held in immigration detention centers, despite having committed no violations of the law,” it said. “Worse still, US courts are increasingly issuing denials of asylum claims and granting the executive branch the authority to deport our compatriots back to Russia – where, as a rule, this means immediate arrest by Putin’s security services.”
All three of the signatories are opposition members of Putin’s government.
“We ask that Canada adopt a decision to grant asylum to those Russian citizens whose opposition and anti-war activities are beyond doubt, and who are subject to deportation orders by the U.S. authorities,” the letter added.
There has been no response from Carney at the time of this publication.
