Russia's 'anti-woke visa' woos Western expatriates

Moscow's "Shared Values Visa" welcomes conservative migrants who are against LGBTQ+ rights or globalism in general. Russia, meanwhile, uses the newcomers for propaganda.Russell has accomplished a milestone: The Australian was granted the so-called "Shared Values Visa" from Russia. He posted his final visit to the authorities on his YouTube channel "Traveling with Russell" which is followed by 185,000 accounts. "I now have three years to live here, find a job and reside here in Russia," Russell says to the camera. Around 43,000 people had watched the video seven weeks after it was published. Russell is not the only person who wants to live in Russia. Many other accounts of Western emigrants who live or plan to live in Russia can be found on social networks. They mostly disagree with developments in their countries of origin, for example in the realms of family, religion, LGBTQ+ people and migration. Also the prospect of a more conservative society appeals to them. Russia's residence permit, informally referred to as an "anti-woke visa," is aimed at precisely this group of people. It seeks applicants who are the opposite of "woke," or committed to combating racist, sexist and social discrimination. Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced the visa in August 2024 by decree. It states that it is designed to "provide humanitarian support to people who share traditional Russian spiritual and moral values." Citizens or permanent residents of European countries, the United States, Australia, Japan and some other countries have the right to apply for the "Shared Values Visa." They do not have to prove that they speak Russian or, know anything about the country's culture or its laws. However, applicants must declare that they do not agree with the policies of their country of origin. The visa is usually issued for three years and can be extended afterwards. Why is Russia issuing 'shared Values Visas'? "First and foremost, this is symbolic politics," Katharina Bluhm, head of the institute for East European Studies at the Freie Universität Berlin, told DW. In her view, it serves two purposes. "Russia uses the visa and the positive stories of Western immigrants to show its own citizens: 'Look, there are people who come to us because we fulfill what they miss in the decadent West. These people want to return to Christian, Western values." And the message to the Western world is: "Come to us if all of this bothers you so much. We represent the better Europe, the Europe of patriotism and traditional values and gender roles that no longer exist elsewhere." However, aside from the symbolism, Bluhm also believes that Russia's serious demographic challenges play a role. Russia's population has been shrinking for years, and the birth rate is too low despite state subsidies. Also, Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine has led to high casualties and additional emigration, especially of young Russians. 'Russia is still safe for traditional, Christian families' Families like the Feenstra family, who emigrated to Russia from Canada with eight children, ought to be more than welcome. On his social media channel Countryside Acres, Arend Feenstra, the father, reports in detail about his new life. "Russia is one of the few countries that is still safe for traditional Christian families," he said. In addition, it had become increasingly difficult to support his family in Canada, while in Russia the situation is better for them financially. Online platforms that provide support for "Shared Values Visa" applications also promote such additional benefits. On russianresidency.org, for example, there is talk of low taxes, free education, excellent healthcare and a low cost of living. According to a spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of the Interior, 1,156 people had applied for the "Shared Values Visa" by May, nine months after its introduction. The largest group, comprising 224 came from Germany. However, this will hardly be enough to solve Russia's demographic problem. Expat videos as part of Russian propaganda The Russian state media report extensively on what they see as successful cases, helping create an impression that many Western expats are moving Russia. At the same time, it is not unlikely that the activities of bloggers who emigrated from the West to Russia out of moral conviction could also be partly supported or even directed by Moscow. A March report by the online magazine "Important Stories," found that Russia's foreign broadcaster RT, which is subject to sanctions in many places in the West, finances social media videos in which resettled foreigners praise Russia and criticize the West. According to the findings, employees of the Russian state broadcaster are behind the YouTube channel "Russian Road," which contains such videos. For observers, such propaganda is hardly surprising. Russia has allegedly resorted to even more drastic methods in other areas. During the US election campaign, actors were said to have been hired to record fake videos. In turn, Katharina Bluhm sees the "Shared Values Visa" in the context of the Russian propaganda machine. At the same time, it appears that Russia now wants to bring more "fitting" foreigners into the country in order to counteract its demographic problems. This article was originally published in German.