Far from Home: Russians Relocating to Latin America

Drawing on longitudinal survey data from the OutRush project, official migration statistics from across the region, and in-depth interviews and sociological observation of Russian immigrants to Brazil, we explore the emerging trends of war-induced Russian migration to Latin America. Russians have visa-free access to the region, which already appeals to families seeking legal residency via jus soli citizenship for their children and family reunification policies. The region may slowly attract more Russian emigrants as they face legal insecurities and restrictions in the most popular host countries for wartime emigration but are unwilling—for political or other reasons—to return to Russia. Since Latin America is a huge and varied region, our data may not fully represent all dynamics there. Our conclusions should thus be viewed as preliminary insights and warrant further investigation across various national contexts.