Germany ready to take in Russian deserters: ministers

Germany is ready to take in Russian deserters, ministers signalled Thursday, amid reports of people fleeing the partial mobilisation ordered by President Vladimir Putin.

“Deserters threatened with serious repression can as a rule obtain international protection in Germany,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said, according to excerpts from an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper.

“Anyone who courageously opposes Putin’s regime and thereby falls into great danger, can file for asylum on grounds of political persecution,” she said.

Separately, Justice Minister Marco Buschmann tweeted using the hashtag “partial mobilisation” that “apparently, many Russians are leaving their homeland — anyone who hates Putin’s path and loves liberal democracy is welcome in Germany”.

Germany has taken in around a million Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion, but also welcomed Russian dissidents.

Faeser said 438 Russian dissidents — many of them journalists — have benefited from an accelerated process to obtain protection in Germany.

She pointed out however that political asylum is not automatically granted but applicants would first be subject to security checks.