During the occupation of Crimea since 2014, most people were forced to adapt and receive so-called Russian passports, and some even lost faith that Ukraine would return, said in an interview with Alexei Gordeev for ZN. UA Mufti of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Ayder Rustemov.

According to him, more than 50,000 Crimean Tatars left the peninsula after the occupation, and this number continues to grow.. Most of them settled in mainland Ukraine, but after February 2022, some again fell under Russian occupation..

“People lived and live. Eight years later, they managed to adapt. We received passports because we were forced to do it (although they hesitated to the last). No passport - no pension. I’m not saying that without a passport, you need to draw up documents for temporary residence every time, enter and leave every three months.

In addition, at some point, many people became disillusioned and did not believe that Ukraine would return.. Eight years is a long time,” he said..

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Read more about the role of Crimean Tatars in the future of Crimea and the difficulties of Ukrainian Muslims in the occupied territories in the full text of the interview “Mufti of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Ayder Rustemov: “The remaining Crimean Tatars on the peninsula are our potential to resist the Russians in the guerrilla war”.