Russian Asylum Seekers Win Court Appeal Against Deportation from Finland
A Russian mother and son, Olga and Nikita Belov, have won a court appeal against their deportation from Finland after their asylum applications were repeatedly rejected. The Finnish Administrative Court has overturned the Finnish Immigration Service’s (Migri) decision, citing new evidence, and referred the case back for reconsideration.
The Belovs fled Russia in 2022 after facing persecution for their opposition to the war in Ukraine. According to The Guardian, they attracted the attention of Russian authorities, including receiving threatening messages, attempts to locate them, and a military conscription notice for Nikita. Olga, a 55-year-old nurse anaesthetist, and Nikita, a 25-year-old former engineer, had publicly supported Ukraine by sending humanitarian aid, including to the Ukrainian armed forces.
Migri had previously rejected their asylum claims, arguing they faced “no real risk” if returned to Russia. In April, the Belovs were temporarily detained pending deportation, a decision that sparked international concern. Ilta-Sanomat reports that Norway’s Green Party proposed offering them asylum if Finland did not grant protection, while political activist and Putin critic Bill Browder described the case as “a defining test of Europe’s commitment to protecting those who have risked everything to oppose Putin’s war.”
The court’s decision marks a temporary reprieve for the family, though their future remains uncertain. Olga Belov told The Guardian that while the ruling was their first positive news in four years, the prolonged stress had taken a toll on her health. “We still have to wait for a final decision. This is very stressful, and nobody knows how long it will take,” she said. Nikita added that he felt emotionally exhausted, despite the court’s decision.
Their lawyer, who requested anonymity for security reasons, stated that the court overturned the decision because the Belovs had provided substantial new evidence demonstrating their risk of persecution. “The international attention and vast media coverage on the case must be accurately assessed by Migri,” the lawyer said.
Browder, whose friend Sergei Magnitsky died in Russian custody, called the court’s decision an “important victory” but criticized the delays in the process. “Finland is on the frontline of defending Europe against Putin’s aggression. It would be completely perverse for it to send two people who have stood publicly against that aggression straight back into Putin’s hands,” he said.
Antti Lehtinen, director of the department for international protection at Migri, declined to comment on the case but noted that only about 5% of asylum decisions are returned for reconsideration each year, typically due to new evidence presented during judicial proceedings. He added that Finland’s asylum decisions align with EU practices (The Guardian).
