Posted on Feb 23, 2023
Pregnant Russians flock to Argentina, seeking passports — and options — for their kids
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https://www.npr.org/2023/02/23/ [login to see] /russians-argentina-birth-tourism-passports
Shortly after Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, Alla Prigolovkina and her husband, Andrei Ushakov, decided they had to flee their Sochi, Russia, home.
Ushakov had been detained for holding up a sign that read "Peace," and Prigolovkina, a pregnant ski instructor, feared he would soon be drafted and potentially killed, leaving their baby fatherless.
The original plan was to stay in Europe, but anti-Russian sentiment discouraged them.
"We chose Argentina because it has everything we needed: Fantastic nature, a large country, beautiful mountains," Prigolovkina, 34, told The Associated Press inside the home her family is renting in Argentina's western Mendoza province. "We felt it would be ideal for us."
Shortly after Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, Alla Prigolovkina and her husband, Andrei Ushakov, decided they had to flee their Sochi, Russia, home.
Ushakov had been detained for holding up a sign that read "Peace," and Prigolovkina, a pregnant ski instructor, feared he would soon be drafted and potentially killed, leaving their baby fatherless.
The original plan was to stay in Europe, but anti-Russian sentiment discouraged them.
"We chose Argentina because it has everything we needed: Fantastic nature, a large country, beautiful mountains," Prigolovkina, 34, told The Associated Press inside the home her family is renting in Argentina's western Mendoza province. "We felt it would be ideal for us."
Pregnant Russians flock to Argentina, seeking passports — and options — for their kids
Posted from npr.org
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Posted 1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Some experts say a country in which migrants once made up as much as 30% of the population should be particularly sensitive to the plight of Russians trying to start a new life. The South American country was transformed in the late 19th and early 20th century by the influx of millions of European migrants, including many from Italy and Spain.
"Given our history of migration, a country like ours should empathize more with the humanitarian dimension" of these recent immigrants, Natalia Debandi, a social scientist and migrations expert who is a researcher at the publicly funded CONICET institute, said. "They are not terrorists, they are people."
A study by immigration agents based on interviews with 350 newly arrived Russians concluded that most are married and largely well-off professionals who have remote jobs in finance and digital design or live off savings.
Days before giving birth to a boy named Leo, 30-year-old Russian psychologist Ekaterina Gordienko lauded her experience in Argentina, saying "the health care system is very good, and people are very kind. My only problem is Spanish. If the doctor doesn't speak English, I use the (Google) translator."
Gordienko arrived in the nation's capital of Buenos Aires in December with her 38-year-old husband, Maxim Levoshin. "The first thing we want is for Leo to live in a safe country, without a war in his future," Levoshin said.
In Mendoza, Prigolovkina is excited for her family's new life in Argentina and optimistic they will be able to give back to the country that has welcomed them.
"We have left everything behind to live in peace. I hope that Argentines understand that Russians can be very useful in different areas of life, in business, the economy, in science," she said. "They can help make Argentina better."...
..."Some experts say a country in which migrants once made up as much as 30% of the population should be particularly sensitive to the plight of Russians trying to start a new life. The South American country was transformed in the late 19th and early 20th century by the influx of millions of European migrants, including many from Italy and Spain.
"Given our history of migration, a country like ours should empathize more with the humanitarian dimension" of these recent immigrants, Natalia Debandi, a social scientist and migrations expert who is a researcher at the publicly funded CONICET institute, said. "They are not terrorists, they are people."
A study by immigration agents based on interviews with 350 newly arrived Russians concluded that most are married and largely well-off professionals who have remote jobs in finance and digital design or live off savings.
Days before giving birth to a boy named Leo, 30-year-old Russian psychologist Ekaterina Gordienko lauded her experience in Argentina, saying "the health care system is very good, and people are very kind. My only problem is Spanish. If the doctor doesn't speak English, I use the (Google) translator."
Gordienko arrived in the nation's capital of Buenos Aires in December with her 38-year-old husband, Maxim Levoshin. "The first thing we want is for Leo to live in a safe country, without a war in his future," Levoshin said.
In Mendoza, Prigolovkina is excited for her family's new life in Argentina and optimistic they will be able to give back to the country that has welcomed them.
"We have left everything behind to live in peace. I hope that Argentines understand that Russians can be very useful in different areas of life, in business, the economy, in science," she said. "They can help make Argentina better."...
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