Dozens of Russia's Refugees Allowed to Cross U.S. Border Under Secret Deal With Mexico

At least 35 asylum seekers from Russia have been secretly allowed to cross into the U.S. from Mexico following their country's invasion of Ukraine.

According to Daily Mail, the Russians were escorted to the border in the predawn hours of March 20 following a deal between Mexican and U.S. authorities.

They reportedly crossed at a section of the border where they would not be seen. Mexican immigration officers handed the Russians directly over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers.

The deal was reportedly put together with the help of officials at the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana and Mexican officials at different levels of government after an encampment of displaced Russians started increasing on the streets near the Tijuana-San Diego border crossing.

The group, which included children and a pregnant woman, slept in a makeshift encampment on the street of Tijuana for a week.

The site was in full view of a passageway reserved for people who regularly cross the border from Mexico into San Diego on foot every day.

Russia's Refugees in Mexico Admitted to the U.S.

Two days before they were allowed to cross into the U.S., the Russians in Mexico had received an offer from a Russian-speaking man who introduced himself as an American diplomat.

According to Vice News, the diplomat told Russia's refugees that they would be taken across the border only if they broke up their growing encampment on the pedestrian crossing.

The secret agreement reportedly bypassed Title 42, which allows U.S. officials to send back migrants to Mexico without having a chance to seek asylum or other protections in the U.S.

The Title 42 policy has left tens of thousands of migrants stranded on the Mexican side of the border. Some of Russia's asylum seekers were active in opposition to the war in Ukraine and fled the political persecution under Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

The group waited for days to enter the U.S. to start their proceedings for asylum. One of the asylum seekers, Irina, was arrested for protesting the war and spent several days at the encampment.

Irina, a math teacher from Moscow, told VICE World News that she was grateful for the opportunity to seek asylum in the U.S. However, she was also surprised by the arbitrary and complex nature of the process she and the group experienced.

She said it was "completely unpredictable" and was like "Russian roulette." She added that after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, they do not know if they will be detained and for how long.

Refugees From Russia and Ukraine Seek Asylum in the U.S.

According to New York Post, more than 30,000 Russians arrived in Mexico during the first two months of the year. The outlet reported that it was nearly 2.5 times the full-year average from 2017 to 2021.

According to Wall Street Journal, more than 10,000 Ukrainians visited Mexico as tourists over the same period compared to a full-year average of more than 4,000. Ukrainians do not need a visa to directly fly to Mexico, making it a common stopover point while traveling to the U.S.

As Russia planned to invade Ukraine, reports said thousands of citizens of both Russia and Ukraine left Eastern Europe for Mexico with the ultimate goal of claiming asylum in the U.S.

The administration of President Joe Biden said earlier that it is planning to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, with those who already have family in America receiving priority for resettlement.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has already issued guidance reminding authorities that Ukrainian nationals "and everyone else" making so-called "credible fear" claims at the U.S.-Mexico border are exempt from Title 42.

Last week, there were reports that Ukrainian migrants were being dealt with haphazardly at the border, with some officials using the Title 42 health protocol to turn asylum-seekers away.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Anti-War Russians Gather At U.S.-Mexico Border Seeking Asylum - From NBC News