Global Human Rights Hub fellows
Gaukhar Baltabayeva
Blog posts by Gaukhar Baltabayeva
By: Gaukhar Baltabayeva
Published:
What does it take to be seen as “deserving” of safety and belonging? This piece explores how Russian migrants navigating Georgia’s borders must constantly negotiate identity, politics, and perception. Moving beyond formal policies, it reveals how everyday interactions—from border crossings to café encounters—shape who is accepted and who is questioned. Through a nuanced look at migration in the post-Soviet space, this blog invites readers to reconsider how belonging is constructed not only by states, but also by communities and social expectations.
Global politics of deservingness and the European Union humanitarian entry during the war in Ukraine
By: Gaukhar Baltabayeva
Published:
This blog examines how European countries decide who deserves protection during times of war and political crisis. Focusing on Russian citizens fleeing repression after the invasion of Ukraine, the post explains why access to humanitarian visas in the European Union has been uneven, uncertain, and highly political. While Ukrainians were quickly granted protection, Russians escaping their own government often face stricter rules and moral scrutiny. By unpacking these differences, the author highlights how humanitarian decisions are shaped not only by need, but by politics, identity, and ideas about belonging in Europe.
More about Gaukhar Baltabayeva
Gaukhar Baltabayeva is a PhD candidate in political science at the School of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University. Her research focuses on migration, exile politics, and transnational activism, with particular attention to Russian citizens who left the country after the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Her dissertation investigates the civic and political engagement of Russian migrants across multiple host countries in the South Caucasus and the European Union. Her work has been published in the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies and contributes to broader debates on highly-skilled migration and authoritarian resistance.
Fellowship year
2025–26 Cohort
