The number of migrants from Russia entering the United States through the border with Mexico in search of asylum, has increased sharply from October to December 2022, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Thus, during this period, 12.5 thousand Russian citizens crossed the Mexican-American border, most of them seeking asylum. During the same period of 2021, only about 5 thousand Russians got into the U.S. through the same entry points.

At the same time, U.S. authorities did not change the rules of entry for Russian citizens, but the government provided an opportunity to sign up in advance to come to the border to enter the United States, which means that migrants had an opportunity to avoid border crossing bans associated with the coronavirus. According to attorneys who spoke to the WSJ, many Russians took this chance and told others about it.