A mother and her children managed to flee to San Francisco citing fear of persecution.
“I was very angry that I had been forced to leave. However, what made it happen for me was another Putin speech, when he spoke of atomic weapons. I was scared,” Yulia, my mother, said to CBS News.
Yulia, Olga her sister and Yakov her brother are all U.S citizens. Their parents fled the Soviet Union as political refugees in the 1980s. Yulia went back to Russia after graduation.
Yulia stated that Russia was “very exciting.” It was fresh and seemed so free. Now, 20 years later, I am a refugee once again.”
She said, “I’m trying not to feel like a failure.” “It’s true that my parents did so much to help us get out of this mess, and here we are again.
Yulia and her kids are dual citizens which made it easier to leave Russia. She said that she had to leave behind her grandmother, a 93-year old woman.
Yakov traveled to Moscow from Massachusetts, where he took over the task of getting their grandmother out. However, he stated that he quickly realized what he was doing.
Yakov stated, “We spoke to almost every single European Embassy.”
Anaida Zadykyan is an immigration lawyer in Los Angeles who stated to CBS News that Russians are at a crossroads when it comes time to flee.
“All the sanctions against Russia that were imposed by western countries, there are no flights. She said that it was very difficult to escape right now.
More Russians are moving to Mexico where it is much easier to obtain a tourist visa before they travel to the U.S. border in search of asylum.
This year, more than 7,000 Russians entered the United States through the southern border — nearly double the number of last year.
Zadykyan stated that most people who are looking for support for the opposition are bright, educated individuals. Some are LGBT. It’s almost like younger people in their 20s.
Yakov stated that Russia will be affected in many ways.
Later Yakov told CBS News over Zoom, that the embassy was able speed up an emergency visa appointment in Armenia due to his grandmother’s health issues. The family welcomed their matriarch to America after a month and half.
