Syrians Have No Chance Of Asylum In Russia due to "unwritten rules"

[link to news.sky.com]

Among the 600,000 people who live here (Makhachkala), there is just one man - a solicitor called Shamil Magemadov - who is willing to work with refugees.

"Syrians who come here (seeking asylum) share the same religion as the residents, but it doesn't seem to make a difference."

As Makhachkala goes, so does the rest of Russia.

It may be the principal military backer of the Syrian regime but that does not mean Russia is willing to accept its citizens fleeing war and terror.

We joined Mr Magemadov as he made his way to the local lock-up where five Syrian asylum seekers are being held indefinitely.

They have all applied for refugee status but lack the proper paperwork permitting them to stay.

As a consequence, each one has spent more than a year behind bars - and human rights groups believe there are Syrians in similar circumstances sitting in just about every detention centre in the country.

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