“Thank You, Your Putin Has Already Congratulated Us”

Abstract

Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Russophobic war--related crimes took place in Germany. The incidents were aimed at Russians or people perceived as such. At that time, the Russian-German late resettlers Spätaussiedler also experienced discrimination, being stereotypically perceived as pro-Putin immigrants from post-Soviet countries. The article analyzes the escalation of anti-Russian prejudices and discrimination in Germany in 2022, also directed at Russian-German late resettlers, in the context of their migration history and sense of social integration.