Russian officials having passports seized due to flight concerns

Russian officials and government employees are being asked to hand over their passports because they fear they will flee the country.

According to a recent investigation by Current Time and Radio Liberty, although no universal policies have been made public, it has become common for the Russian government to confiscate the passports of any official they consider a flight risk. Are.

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Emblem of the Russian Federation drawn in the passport. A woman showing her Russian passport.

The investigation, reported by the Moscow Times, found that travel restrictions for Russians close to the government can vary by person and position – with people directly linked to the Kremlin being able to resign from their positions in order to keep their passports. .

Because the travel ban is an implicit policy not based on law, purported exceptions and accommodations exist.

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The Grand Kremlin palace, left, and the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday, February 15, 2022. Russia announced the beginning of the withdrawal of some forces after the exercise, which raised US and European alarm about a possible military strike. on Ukraine. (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

For example, it is possible for less politically important individuals to obtain permission to travel to a Russia-affiliated country.

The investigation found that there was absolutely no possibility for the Kremlin staff to leave Russia.

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Russian Marina shows her Russian passport as she poses for a photo at a hostel in Belgrade.

Wealthy Russians Are Increasingly Trying To Avoid Dressing Up As The Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Invaded Ukraine by applying for citizenship in the Caribbean country of Grenada.

Russians with the financial means to do so are applying for citizenship in Grenada through an investment initiative that allows an applicant to obtain a passport in the country for a minimum investment of $150,000 or the purchase of government-approved real estate at a cost of $350,000. allows for. Bloomberg reported,

Andrew Mark Miller of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.