Kathrine Frich
For months, the United States has tightened immigration enforcement.
This has resulted in rising numbers of foreign nationals being removed under new policies.
Among those affected are Russian citizens whose legal status lapsed during the ongoing geopolitical turmoil.
As deportations accelerate, their return home is becoming increasingly fraught, especially as Moscow continues to search for manpower for its war in Ukraine.
Detained on arrival
According to the independent Russian outlet Mediazona, 63 Russian nationals deported by U.S. immigration authorities were met by security agents the moment their plane touched down in Moscow this week.
The group had been sent out of the U.S. by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and was routed through Cairo before being placed on a connection to Russia.
When the passengers landed on Tuesday, they were immediately stopped by officers from the FSB, Russia’s domestic intelligence agency.
Mediazona reported that the returnees were held for several hours inside the airport and then issued military summons directing them to report for conscription.
This is not the first time Russian authorities have used airports as recruitment points.
Earlier reports suggested that officials had set up “migration checkpoints” at major hubs to identify citizens eligible for service.
Growing signs of mobilization
The detentions come as there are renewed speculation that the Kremlin is preparing another wave of reservist mobilization to reinforce its forces in Ukraine.
Several observers have framed this approach as a way for Moscow to build troop numbers without announcing a broader draft.
On Monday, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree calling reservists to military training and instructing the Defense Ministry to ready facilities across multiple regions for incoming personnel.
The decree has added to the rumors that tightened recruitment efforts may follow.
For those forcibly returned from abroad, the risk of being pulled into military service appears to be rising.
The passengers detained this week had not been previously connected to recruitment drives, according to Mediazona’s reporting.
Sources: Mediazona, Digi24, Ziare.com.
