# ‘I trusted Argentina, but it deceived me’: Tougher immigration rules and soaring costs are making Russian émigrés rethink their new lives in South America

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/i-trusted-argentina-but-it-deceived-me-tougher-immigration-rules-and-soaring-costs-are-making-russian-emigres-rethink-their-new-lives-in-south-america/
- Published: 2026-11-04T09:11:50+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T03:05:42+00:00
- Original publisher: Meduza
- Original article: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/11/04/i-trusted-argentina-but-it-deceived-me-tougher-immigration-rules-and-soaring-costs-are-making-russian-emigres-rethink-their-new-lives-in-south-america
- Topics: Americas, Culture, Europe, Travel, World

## Key points

- Argentina’s 2025 decree made citizenship applications harder.
- Travel abroad can restart the two-year residency clock.
- Russian-speaking emigrants are weighing whether to move again.

## Summary

Russian-speaking emigrants in Argentina are reconsidering their plans as tougher citizenship rules and rising costs make settling there harder. The shift followed President Javier Milei’s move to tighten migration policy, affecting people who had chosen Argentina for its relative openness and, in some cases, citizenship for children born there.

A 2025 decree requires applicants to complete two continuous years of legal residence, with any trip abroad restarting the clock, and transfers citizenship decisions from courts to the migration service. That service has yet to issue operating regulations or grant a passport, while courts continue to process cases under the new rules. Argentina’s registry recorded 10,886 Russian citizens with identity documents in June 2026; the article also describes emigrants facing practical and financial pressures.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.