Russians aren’t exactly spoiled for choice when it comes to the airlines they can fly internationally, given the restrictions currently in place. Turkish Airlines is the carrier offering the most one-stop global connectivity from Russia, and now the country is urging citizens to not fly with the Star Alliance airline to Latin America…
Continue reading: Russia Urges Citizens To Not Fly Turkish Airlines To Latin America
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It is gratifying to see everyday Russian citizens seeking asylum, and illustrates well the level of discontent and disdain (and fear) of a regime that lives in past illusions of glory, has plunged Europe into its biggest conflict since World War II, and continues to talk loosely of the use of nuclear weapons. Those seeking asylum should be embraced and aided to reach the places they want to be. In spite of Russia's sanction-busting economic growth, there is a brain drain for sure.
Those 1000 or so Russians are mostly women, presumably. Many pregnant Russian women are known to have flown to Argentina since the Ukraine war to give births as Russia can't ensure safe deliveries.
As an observation, having traveled to ~5 dozen countries, I - with my star-spangled passport - have never once been asked for proof of onward travel, nor proof of funds. I imagine that folks of non-OECD nationalities have a rather different experience, and may struggle to meet that requirement if, say, their bank accounts are in countries cut off from SWIFT...
Even an American must show a ticket for departure from the Philippines within the specified stay allowed, including the 29 day "no visa" stay.
I would agree that 1000 denials is actually a pretty small relative number. The reason why the Russian government may be choosing to highlight this is twofold...
1. To discourage it's citizens from leaving Russia.
2. To continue to paint themselves as victims of western oppression and Russophobia. Both are recurring themes in the Russia media sphere.
Good article by the Economist. Not only safe deliveries, born child can immediately acquire Argentinian citizenship, and parents can enjoy expedited naturalization procedure. Argentinian passport is ranked 17th in Henley passport index (Russian passport ranked 51st) and allow visa free travel to Schengen area, UK, Japan and South Korea.
Why Russian women are flying to Argentina to give birth
@ben many airlines not just TK. Pregnant women going to give birth, as like the US, most countries in the western hemisphere grant citizenship under jus soli to newborns. This happened before Hong Kong returned to the Chinese with many giving birth in the US.
Istanbul is a well know start point for attempts to fly and enter a third country with lots of trafficking.
I’ve never been asked to show my return ticket on arrival in the Philippines although I have one and aware of the 30 day rule.
Many comments have valid arguments.
But why only TK.
ME3 or even ET also flies to Russia and Latin America.
They won’t get far suing airlines that have no representation in Russia since the embargo. Same for flying Istanbul Frankfurt Buenos Aires if they have a transit visa. Especially if the journey commenced in Istanbul as Russia has no jurisdiction. The conditions of carriage also mention doubtful travel and you can guarantee they aren’t going on vacation given the situation. Many Russians are also living in Turkey so will commence their journeys there. So they have to take action in Turkey.
American passport-holder here. After I graduated college, I flew MAD-BOG-PTY-IAH (with an intermediate stay in each country). Since I flew on one-way tickets, I was asked for departing flights while checking in to MAD-BOG on Avianca and when passing through immigration in Panama. I've also subsequently flown between Brazil and Paraguay (latter requires yellow fever vaccine if your travel itinerary includes Brazil); strangely I was asked for it on AEP-ASU leg, but nowhere else...
US passport holder - traveled 60+ countries, repeatedly to most of them, and only asked for a return ticket evidence once (South Africa, but only one time after visiting the country almost every year since 1998). During COVID, having not much to do, but with a ton of miles to use, I hopped around much of the world on one-way tickets (as countries gradually opened) and would decide my next destination later - never a problem.
It really is not of anyone’s interest to know how many countries you have traveled to.
TK has this notice posted for a while:
https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-us/announcements/passenger-admission-rules-for-south-america/
Some additional controls may be applied to our passengers who have flights arriving in Venezuela (CCS), Mexico (MEX and CUN), Colombia (BOG), Cuba (HAV) and Brazil (GRU), apart from the general rules such as passport and visa requirements. Since the country's authorities may deny entry to the country with respect to the following requirements, similar controls can be carried out during boarding.
A previous version of this page mentioned more restrictions. According to wayback machine 3/15/2024:
Passengers with long-term accommodation but no luggage
Passengers traveling abroad for the first time
Passengers who do not have documents suitable for their declared travel purpose
If a country denies entry, it usually the carrier that has to fly the person back. It adds up. If the deportee is unable to make the immediate return flight the carrier can also be on the hook for lodging costs. The carrier can also be fined if they have a high percentage of deportees. All about the money.
Good to hear TK is restricting Russians from traveling to South/Central America. As an American/Estonian citizen any restrictions that Russians might be subject to, regardless of their support level of the Kremlin, is only another pressure point against their regime. Russians are still 'welcome' in many countries. Making one thousand inconvenienced, compared to the 1000's killed in the Ukraine, doesn't pass my sympathy meter.
In Turkey there are people running underground businesses targeting many foreign nationals who seek asylum related documents to support their case in efforts to get to the US. Russians are included as the target audience, on top of Indians, certain African and Middle East countries, etc. Turkiye actually announced a new e-visa requirement for nationals of 10 countries on April 15, 2024 for people transiting through Istanbul on their way to Colombia, Mexico, Panama or Venezuela because it is pretty well known that folks are routing through Istanbul to a Latin America country before they start their journey northward to the US. Anyone traveling through Turkey to certain Latin America countries are subject to additional screening. I suspect the US govt had some discussions with their Turkish counterparts that the country needs to do their part to stem the illegal immigration because transiting through Turkiye has always been the easiest way for people looking to illegally enter the US
A truth with modifications that most countries in the western hemisphere has jus soli. Almost all countries in the americas do, but in Europe it is conditioned that one of the parents need to be a citizen or a permanent resident of the country. So birth Tourism would not be a possibility in the European jurisdictions. I guess it really boils down to US and Canada as the actually interesting targets.
This situation has been going on for more than a year, and its very particular here in Mexico and for Cancun (CUN) airport. It applies random and sometimes passengers that lack experience. A friend of my wife living in Merida (MID) had the problem and was denied boarding in IST, so they did allow Her to buy tickets from Russia and to fly to IST, the problem is the airport in IST and CUN, like Her and heard those stories everyday in the chat, families with children that visit love ones in Mexico, friends that come on vacations, a guy that came to watch a concert of Madonna, etc. So far the message in the soviet community in southern Mexico its to avoid Turkish airlines. Most of them they do not want to visit USA but rather visit Mexico and in the future make a life here. We do have very good life here.
I am in the Philippines now (on Australian passport) and wasn’t asked to show any documentation when arriving on Saturday. I didn’t even have to show either of my QR codes for immigration or customs which I believed I’d have to do. They were just waiving everyone through.
I was expecting a very rigourous entry procedure after everything I had read, but it was very lax.
Hi Joe, I have travelled to 97. All in business class (some in first too actually).
Currently at the Four Seasons in Seychelles.
If you are booked on a single ticket, the airline staff can see your flight out again and don't need to ask for proof. Separate tickets same airline, mostly they should be able to see it. Separate ticket different airline is where you will typically be asked to document onward tickets.
Meanwhile, look at Flightradar24 and see all the Turkish, Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, Indian and Chinese carriers flying to and through Russia while EU, US, Canadian and other carriers avoid it at the cost of extra hours, fuel and emissions. Why are these carriers permitted this competitive advantage which also provides income to Russia for the overflights? If our carriers can't do it, we should prohibit other carriers from doing it to/from our countries.
As an American living in Mexico, I often compare Mexico to Ukraine in terms of having a large possibly unfriendly neighbor. Mexicans know to not elect a candidate who is not anti-American/pro Russian-Chinese. It seems the Ukrainians are either naive or simply stupid to try and align themselves with the West and not expect repercussions. None of us like a bully but you can either learn to live with them or face constant aggression.
I am currently traveling in Ireland which is full of Ukrainians. So on one hand the West pays them to fight Russia yet on the other hand funds those who flee. This is not going to end well for anyone unless policies are changed 180 degrees
Might it simply be to warn its citizens they are likely to be denied boarding. The US State Dept issued travel warnings like this continually.
You clearly have not been to countries with strict policies. Try entering Panama on a way ticket. They will not even permit you to enter by land without an exit flight.
If this is driven by the destination countries then we should read reports of that happening to ruzzian passengers on EK and QR soon.
Tell me that you're a xenophobic racist without telling me you're a xenophobic racist.
Great note of wisdom from a citizen of a country with a highest number of Nazi collaborators. It's just few years ago they weren't welcomed anywhere, but now they pass judgement on the others.
Seriously? You try to justify Russia's actions by blaming the victim.
Regardless of who Mexico votes for, the "repercussions" are not going to be that the US sends missile and rocket attacks all over Mexico killing 100s of thousands, attacks schools, hospitals, electrical facilities and other infrastructure, and invades the country to occupy and control it. Which is what you're implying is justified because Ukrainians voted for the 'wrong candidate' in your words.
You are denying them sovereignty and saying they have to be a vassal of Russia, since the original issue was legitimate democratic protest against a corrupt president that didn't keep his promises, killed over 100 of his own citizens and then fled to his Russian sponsor. And you suggest they should just have been happy instead with the corruption and killings... i.e. to remain just like Russia.
So much for civilisation and progress.
Tell me that you're supporting an aggressive, murderous invader without telling me you're supporting an aggressive, murderous invader.
You must have been all for Germans freely travelling everywhere during WW2 as well.
Considering I wasn't alive during WWII, your point is invalid. Moreover, have Americans been banned from travel for the many unjustified wars the US has carried out? Yeah, I didn't think so.
That was one of the potential repercussions for Cuba when they overthrew their pro American dictator. Remember bay of pigs? Do you think the U.S. would stand by if say, Canada decided to join a pro Russian/Chinese military alliance that allows the Russians or Chinese to station troops on our borders?
"If our carriers can't do it,"
Did Turkey, UAE, Qatar, India or China close their airspace to Russian carriers? No they did not, hence why they are allowed to still fly over Russia.
Remember it was the EU/US/Canada that closed their airspace first. Reciprocation by the Russians would have been fully expected by EU/US/Canada, so let's not pretend it was some surprise. They EU/US/Canada governments and carriers brought this on themselves.