More than 100 German citizens have applied for temporary protection in Russia this year, Moscow authorities said on Tuesday, DPA and Agerpres reported.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Iryna Volk reported that 111 German entrants were registered in nine months of this year, which is many times more than in 2022.

Also, 84 applications for temporary protection from citizens of the Baltic countries were registered, Iryna Volk told Interfax.

It is impossible to independently verify this information, even if information about the relocation of Germans to Russia periodically appears in the press, dpa notes.

The reason for the requests for asylum is cited by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia as the fear of alleged political persecution in Germany or the Baltic states.

People feel persecuted for supporting Russian policies or special operations in Ukraine, Volk said, using the official Russian term for Moscow’s war against the neighboring country.

Those seeking protection also feel oppressed because they support Russia’s campaign to protect Russian language and culture and so-called traditional values, Volk said. It also refers to protecting the image of the traditional family and rejecting non-heterosexual relationships.

Germany and the Baltic countries are considered enemies in Russia because of their support for Ukraine.

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