High-ranking official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation warned Russian citizens this week to carefully assess all of the potential risks associated with traveling to Mexico at this time. The warning comes in response to the recent actions taken by Mexican authorities, who have started denying entry to a growing number of Russian visitors, and a significant uptick in the instances where Russians were being turned away at the border. According to Russia’s ambassador to Mexico, this increase could be attributed to the Mexican government’s efforts to curtail the influx of migrants seeking illegal entry into the United States.
Between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered a total of 57,163 individuals from Russia who were not US citizens. At that time, this number reflected an increase of over 20,000 compared to the previous fiscal year.
The latest data from the CBP shows that a total of 81,913 Russian nationals have illegally crossed into the United States since the current US President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021.
According to Russian Foreign Ministry, Mexican authorities are “actively addressing” the matter, but nevertheless, it is important for Russian citizens to consider the potential obstacles, perils and risks before making any travel arrangements for Mexico.
During the first four months of 2024, Turkish Airlines has blocked approximately 1,000 Russian passengers from traveling to Mexico and other Latin American countries through Turkey. Russian Foreign Ministry has alleged that the US influenced the airline to refuse entry to the Russians, as Washington is trying to rein on the influx of Russian citizens entering the United States illegally.
