No, video doesn't show 'illegal Chinese immigrants' fleeing Russia | Fact check
The claim: Video shows 'illegal Chinese immigrants' fleeing Russia after Putin threatened to make them fight in Ukraine
A Jan. 5 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) shows people standing in a crowded room.
"Putin threatened to send all illegal Chinese immigrants to the front lines in Ukraine," reads the post, which originally appeared on X, formerly Twitter. "Airports saw a sudden rush of flights back to China."
The Instagram video was liked more than 55,000 times in 11 days.
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Our rating: False
The video is miscaptioned. It shows people traveling from Russia for the New Year's holiday and appeared online days before Russian President Vladimir Putin's Jan. 4 decree that speeds up the path to citizenship for foreigners who sign up for the country's military. Putin did not threaten to send immigrants who are in the country illegally to fight in Ukraine.
Video predates January decree to speed up Russian citizenship path
Putin signed a decree Jan. 4 to speed up a path to citizenship for foreigners who enlist in the country's military, the Associated Press reported. The move is part of an effort by Russia to replenish its troops fighting in Ukraine.
The Instagram video, though, is not related to Putin's Jan. 4 decree. It appeared online Dec. 30 in a post on Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok, with a caption that describes people traveling from Russia for the New Year's holiday. The same Douyin user posted a similar video Dec. 31 with a caption that also describes New Year's travel.
Fact check: No, Biden is not sending US troops to fight Russian troops in Ukraine
The effort by Russia to entice foreigners to join its military isn't new, either.
Putin first began to allow fast-track citizenship for foreigners who sign contracts with the Russian military in September 2022. At the time, immigrants who signed up for at least a year and were involved in active hostilities for at least six months could apply for citizenship without having to live in the country for five straight years under a residency permit.
In May 2023, Putin eliminated the requirement that foreigners participate in six months of active hostilities before applying for citizenship. Putin's Jan. 4 decree made the process even faster by saying decisions on the applications should take only one month, rather than the typical three months.
While Putin hasn't overtly threatened to send "all illegal Chinese immigrants" to fight in Ukraine, as the Instagram post claims, there have been regular reports of police raids targeting migrants in Russian cities, the AP reported. Those detained are offered and sometimes pressured to sign contracts with the military.
The social media user who shared the post could not be reached for comment.
Reuters also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
- Associated Press, Jan. 4, Putin speeds up a citizenship path for foreigners who enlist in the Russian military
- Sister Yan in Russia, Dec. 30, Douyin post
- Sister Yan in Rusia, Dec. 31, Douyin post
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