Client Mikhail.
Protection, citizenship, immigration. Russia → UAE → Mexico.
Situation
What happened
An entrepreneur from Russia and his family (spouse and two children) relocated to Mexico City in 2023 after a criminal case was opened against him. They initially entered on a tourist permit. Legalization was needed on a tight timeline, together with protection against a possible future extradition.
Key challenges of the case
- The existing Russian criminal case could complicate the filing
- A family of 4 required coordinating several applications at once
- Risk of a future Interpol Red Notice
Strategy and work
How ARGA worked
Situation analysis and choice of grounds
ARGA assessed the situation and recommended filing with COMAR for long-term protection and legalization.
Filing for asylum with COMAR
A personal statement was prepared for COMAR: the threat of persecution tied to the criminal case with signs of political motivation was documented, and open-source materials were gathered.
Support through COMAR and INM
An ARGA specialist accompanied the family to every appointment, tracked deadlines, answered inspectors' requests, and submitted additional documents when needed.
Outcome
A positive decision on political asylum was issued. Permanent residency for the whole family was obtained within 7 weeks.
Client's Testimonial
After the criminal case was opened, I quickly realized there would be no fair trial for me in Russia. I left for Dubai — my family stayed behind for the time being.
In Dubai, understanding nothing about these matters, I fell for smooth-talking lawyers and consultants. They spoke convincingly, quoted confident figures — I paid enormous sums for what was supposedly a fix for my Interpol problem. Only later did it occur to me to call someone else.
Thank God, that turned out to be ARGA right away. They explained that I had literally a few days left before my name would appear in Interpol's database — after which I would no longer be able to leave Dubai.
Yes, they can help remove the wanted file — through specific appeals, through clear violations on Russia's part. But I had to understand: the review center was overloaded, and I would be stuck in Dubai for three, maybe four years while the matter was being resolved. And by the time it was resolved, my passport would already be annulled, so I still wouldn't be able to fly out. All that time living in constant fear that some immigration service would check my documents and extradite me to Russia.
I was advised of another route: fly urgently to Mexico, get political asylum — and then, with those documents, apply for removal from Interpol's database. This cuts the review time down to roughly six months to a year and a half.
That's exactly what I did. ARGA Mexico met me right at the airport and walked me through every step, hand in hand. My wife and children arrived a few months later. The COMAR decision allowed the whole family to obtain citizenship. Today we are fully legalized, completely protected, and living and working in Mexico City. Mexico, by the way, is a great country.
Thank you so much, ARGA Mexico.
Mikhail Gorev*
Entrepreneur, politician. Mexico
Name changed for confidentiality
Outcome
Result
Citizenship for all four family members and full protection from extradition were obtained. The family is securely legalized in Mexico City.