Asylum for Provorov, Ovechkin and the rest of Russian players in the NHL?
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Wilson SalaunMarch 11, 2022 (2:02 PM)
That's an absolutely huge news.
According to Rick Westhead, Russian players, their representatives and NHL teams have contacted lawyers to discuss the process of applying for asylum or permanent residency in North America.
With the actual geopolitical climate, teams are worried that Russian players in their system "may be required to leave, or that their visas may not get renewed."
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And they should be worry. Ukraine's embassy in Canada asked the government to stop issuing new work permits and travel visas for Russian athletes...
However, Russian NHL players applying for refugee status in Canada would have a strong case.
"If they made it clear that they disagreed with what the Russian government is doing in Ukraine, and that they would express that disagreement if and when they returned to Russia, then it would be clear that they would be in danger," said Maria Popova, professor in the political science department at McGill University.
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