The Finnish government launched a mass deportation of Russians fleeing the country after Russia launched a full-scale war against Ukraine. According to Finnish police, from January to September 2025, 104 Russian citizens who were denied political asylum were deported from the country. This was reported by "Vot Tak" publication on Friday, September 5.
According to official data, the number of deportations has sharply increased this year. The main reason for this is that asylum applications from Russians have not been considered for a long time.
"There were no interviews at all for two years. No communication was made with anyone. Inspections were conducted only in certain cases. Our activists appealed to the Finnish Ombudsman and wrote complaints. Only at the end of 2024 did the interview process begin," said Maxim Aliyev, an activist of the "Ship Against War" movement and a former volunteer.
He noted that after the first interviews, almost 90% of Russian applicants received a rejection. Many of them have appealed to the Supreme Court of Finland and are ready to reapply for asylum if given the opportunity.
The majority of refusals relate to citizens fleeing mobilization from Russia. According to the Finnish Migration Service, in May 2023, at least 1,109 Russians sought asylum due to evading military service. However, Finnish authorities did not satisfy their requests and issued a decision that mobilization in Russia had ended.
The documents cite the statements of then-Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and President Vladimir Putin. However, critics note that no official decree has been signed to stop the mobilization.
Thus, the fate of Russian refugees in Finland is becoming even more uncertain. According to officials, many more applications will be reviewed in the coming months, and refusals may continue.
Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!
