BUENOS AIRES, March 31. /TASS/. Argentina's Migration Service has begun refusing Russians the opportunity to extend their tourist stay in the country, Georgy Polin, head of the Russian embassy’s consular department, said.
"We are aware of the situation with the growing refusals of Argentinian authorities to extend the so-called tourist stay of newly-arrived Russian citizens. We also note the refusal to issue residence permits (and even cancelling of previously issued ones), as well as issuing an order to leave the country as soon as possible under the threat of initiation of deportation procedures. So far, we are talking about several dozen cases," the diplomat said in a commentary, obtained by TASS.
According to the consul, the migration service justifies its refusals by the provision of the Russian-Argentinian agreement on visa-free travel "according to which the holders of ordinary Russian passports may enter, exit, transit and stay in Argentina without a visa for not more than 90 days within each period of 180 days." Nevertheless, in 2022, Argentinian authorities granted most Russian requests for an extension of their tourist stay in the country.
"We would assume that the non-discriminatory implementation of such provisions of Argentine law implies that citizens of other countries with a visa-free regime with Argentina would also be denied a residence permit if the relevant bilateral or multilateral treaties contain similar provisions. In recent months, however, it is almost exclusively Russian citizens being refused," Polin said.
Recommendations for citizens
According to the diplomat, Russians have the opportunity to appeal the decisions about refusing to extend their stay or granting a residence permit. "We recommend compatriots who do not agree with the measures taken against them appeal the decisions using legal means with the help of licensed lawyers, and if they do not speak Spanish, also involve interpreters," he added.
According to the diplomat, the law firm contacted by the embassy for information confirmed that without an appeal, the Russians who were denied may be expelled from Argentina. "An appeal of the decision already makes it possible to stay in Argentina legally at least until the appeal is heard," the lawyers said. According to their estimates, its consideration could take as long as two to four years.
Scandal around Russians
In February, there was a scandal in Argentina around the provision of residence permits for Russians after the Argentinian Migration Service denied entry to six pregnant Russians. They were allowed to leave the airport for humanitarian reasons only by a court decision. According to the head of the migration service of Argentina, Florencia Carignano, border control officials believed that the women, who were in the late stages of pregnancy, did not come to the country for tourism purposes as they said.
The migration official also said that the agency has started checks due to a sharp increase in the flow of Russians into the country. According to Carignano, over the last year more than 10,000 pregnant Russians came to Argentina, 7,000 of whom have already left the country. The judicial authorities of Argentina have also started checks on the consultants who offer assistance in obtaining Argentine citizenship and residence permits.
Maternity tourism "from Russia to Argentina has existed since 2010, when a bilateral visa-free agreement came into effect. After the birth of a child, parents can apply for citizenship under an accelerated procedure, which entitles them to visa-free travel to about 170 countries.