Seeking asylum and obtaining refugee status in Russia is notoriously difficult, and the country is often criticized by rights defenders for not doing enough. Even though Russia adopted the UN mandate on refugees, which means it is duty-bound to accept them, a potent mixture of reluctance at the state level and an inefficient migration service means relatively few make it in. Syria is a case in point: only two Syrian asylum seekers have had their applications approved, despite Russia’s nearly three-year military intervention there.
