– When the Ukrainians fled, it was because of danger to their own lives. Children and women had to leave because there was war inside the country. What do Russians do? It is now primarily men who leave, to avoid mobilisation, says Norvik to news. She believes it is cynical to compare refugees from Ukraine with men who leave Russia. Russians should not be allowed to enter Norway, is Natalie Norvik’s message. She lives in Hvaler in Viken, but originally comes from Sumy in north-east Ukraine. This was one of the areas Russia tried to conquer in the first phase of the war, after the attack on Ukraine on 24 February this year. – I was already able to bring my parents here to Norway in March. This summer we also got my 94-year-old grandmother out of Ukraine, says Norvik. Natalie Norvik, on the left in the picture, has helped both family and friends who have fled to Norway after the Russian attack in February. Photo: Private. She, her family and their Ukrainian friends, both in Ukraine and Norway, have lived with the war for more than seven months. For a period, 14 people who had fled Ukraine lived in her house in Hvaler. Many of them have lost most of what they had, including their homes, due to the Russian invasion. Okhtyrka in Sumy county. This part of Ukraine is among the areas hardest hit by the Russian attack. Photo: GENYA SAVILOV / AFP – Not real refugees Natalie Norvik believes that many Russians have woken up now because Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered partial mobilization. – My opinion is that the Russians who are now fleeing because of the mobilization are not real refugees, as Ukrainians were after 24 February, says Norvik. – My countrymen fled from bombs and war, because they were exposed to a brutal attack. The Russians who are now choosing to leave Russia do not. She calls it “a thirst to survive”. – There were no major protests or actions in Russia against the war until Putin announced his mobilization last week, says Norvik. Natalie Norvik believes Norway should close the border to Russians fleeing mobilization in Russia. Photo: Private – But when it’s a matter of life and death for the individual, that this could become dangerous for them, then they leave Russia. They did not think about Ukrainians who died because of Russians in the past. They didn’t think about the trauma that Ukrainians have, she continues. Many thousands have left In recent days, many thousands of Russians, some speak of between 200,000 and 300,000, have left Russia, out of fear that they will be mobilized for the war in Ukraine. Most have gone to Kazakhstan and Georgia, countries Russians do not need a visa to enter. But a few have also crossed the border from Russia to Norway at Storskog in Finnmark. Two Russians who managed to cross the border between Russia and Georgia on September 28. Photo: Shakh Aivazov / AP So far, the Norwegian authorities have chosen not to close the border to Russians. Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) wrote in a press release on Friday that this could still happen at short notice. Protests in Georgia – I am not responsible for what the Norwegian state does. But my opinion is that it is right to close the borders for this type of person, says Natalie Norvik. – I also think this could cause problems for Europe, if hundreds of thousands of Russian men come here. Norvik emphasizes that this is her subjective opinion and that she is only speaking on behalf of herself. But in social media, she has received support from several other Ukrainians in Norway, who believe that Russians should fight against unfreedom and war in their homeland, and not escape abroad. These protesters think Georgia should not let in Russians, because they believe they pose a security risk. Photo: AP Earlier this week there were also markings on the border between Georgia and Russia. The demonstrators were Georgians who believe that the many Russians who are now coming to the border should not be allowed to enter the country. – This immigration poses a threat to Georgia’s security, economy and stability, Gigi Lemonjava, who represents the nationalist Droa party, told the AP news agency. Russians in Norway: – Understand the reaction – I understand that what is happening creates emotions and that you can have different opinions. This is written by Evgeniya Khoroltseva in the organization SmåRådina, a Norwegian-Russian association that works to promote human rights and democracy in Russia. Khoroltseva herself has participated in many demonstrations where Russians in Norway show support for Ukraine. Evgeniya Khoroltseva is active in the democracy and human rights organization Smårådina. Photo: Marit Kolberg / news SmåRådina sent an open letter to the Norwegian authorities on Monday this week, in which they ask that the border at Storskog be kept open for those who are now trying to get out of Russia to avoid mobilization. – It doesn’t make much sense to moralize about who should be allowed to cross the border to Norway. There are various people who are now fleeing from being sent as soldiers in the war, writes Khoroltseva. – The more people who refuse military service, hide, sabotage the mobilization or flee from it, the better it is for Ukraine, she adds. It is risky to demonstrate in Russia Khoroltseva emphasizes that those who come to Norway have different backgrounds. – Some are journalists, others are students. Many also travel on to other countries. To Sweden, Germany and Armenia. – Unfortunately, civil protests have been brutally suppressed in Russia over the past 15 years. Several thousand are in prison for taking part in protests against the regime, she writes, and reminds that it is difficult and risky to demonstrate in Russia. – It is not just about going out into the streets and protesting, although we have recently seen that there are still those who resist.
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Russians should not be allowed in – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
