‘I trusted Argentina, but it deceived me’: Tougher immigration rules and soaring costs are making Russian émigrés rethink their new lives in South America
Argentina has become a distant but fairly popular destination for Russian emigration. The South American country has been especially attractive to couples having children, since citizenship there is granted by birthright. After Javier Milei came to power in December 2023, the situation changed — migrants, including those who come to give birth, started being treated with more coolness. Meduza…
Russian émigrés in Argentina are finding themselves reevaluating their lives in the country due to tougher immigration rules and rising costs. The situation worsened after Javier Milei's election in December 2023, when migrants started being treated with more indifference. In Buenos Aires, a line of about 40 people waiting to take an oath of allegiance to Argentina formed at the City Court building, with half of them being Russian speakers.
Anastasia, who moved to Argentina from Belarus after the 2020–2021 protests, and her family had to start the citizenship application process anew after the Decree No. 366/2025, or the DNU, was published on May 29, 2025. The decree tightened migration rules, making it necessary for migrants to have lived in Argentina continuously for two years before applying for citizenship, and placing responsibility for granting citizenship with the migration service instead of the courts.
Many Russians feel deceived by Argentina, as they trusted the country to provide a safe haven, but now face uncertainty about their future in the South American nation.
Written by urgent.news from Meduza (English)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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