#9
Moscow News
March 5-11, 2003
Plight of Russian Applicants for U.S. Visas
Igor Suzdaltsev
In spite of the warm relations between the Russian and American presidents,
no fewer than 30,000 Russians are refused U.S. entry visas every year
The last two years or so have seen an odd incongruity in Russian-American
relations. The leaders of the two countries seem to enjoy a perfect rapport.
Russia and America are fighting together against terrorism; they agree on
matters of arms reduction, and their presidents have had numerous meetings, both
formal and informal.
Going a step down, though, American consulate officials treat Russian
citizens applying for U.S. entry visas in a truly deplorable fashion. Since
2001, the proportion of Russians refused such visas has never dropped below 25%.
This means that no fewer than 30,000 Russians hoping to go to the United States
draw a blank every year. The result has been tens of thousands of tragedies, big
and small - from broken business contracts to broken families (many Russian
visa-seekers want to travel to America to see their children or parents). In
2000, the proportion of refusals was 15% (the refusal rate at other foreign
consulates in Moscow is three percent at the most). Ironically, a sudden change
for the worse occurred in 2001, when Moscow and Washington trumpeted their
rapprochement.
You might think that the Americans are turning away so many Russians on
account of the events of September 11, 2001, when acts of terrorism were
perpetrated on U.S. territory by foreigners who had entered the country
perfectly legally. You would be wrong. Our organization - the Russian-American
Public Visa Council - polled hundreds of Russian citizens who had been refused
U.S. visas. Our survey shows that the largest number of refusals was recorded in
August 2001 - before 9/11. In August 2001, tens of thousands of Russian citizens
were barred from entering the Unite States, and the majority of them still
cannot obtain visas, their applications being repeatedly rejected.
If you have been refused an American visa once, it does not mean that you
will never be able to go to the United States. It often happens that an
applicant turned down originally is granted a U.S. entry visa at a later date
(perhaps under new circumstances or in a more favorable political situation).
At the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, however, one very rarely sees such liberalism.
They will not explain why they don't want to give you a visa. They will inform
you that the consulate's officials are not obliged to give you the reasons for
refusing your application. But after all, a person has the right to know why he
is not allowed to go and meet his relatives living in America, his American
business partners, or the American admirers of his work. The United States is
teaching everyone to be transparent in their dealings; why, then, can't it
frankly tell individual Russian citizens the reasons for rejecting their
applications?
That kind of treatment has compelled us to establish our organization. To
prevent any false interpretation of our motives, we would like to state
unequivocally: Members of the RAPVC are defending their personal interests. This
issue could arouse the interest of the Russian state, but our experience tells
us not to count on is support.
America's foreign policy had its origins in the defense of the interests of
American commercial travelers in Latin America (hence the term "gunboat
diplomacy"). Russian diplomacy never had any such traditions. Ballistic
missiles are important to our diplomats, Iraq even more so; but what happens to
an ordinary Russian matters least of all to them. It is about time Russia
changed her approach to these matters.
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