Finland freezes Russians' asylum requests

Finnish authorities temporarily freeze processing of asylum requests from Russians fleeing mobilization. This was reported by Helsingin Sanomat with reference to the official representative of the Migration Service, Juhi Simila.

According to Simila, the Service intends to collect additional information about social conditions Russia, and also human rights and safety of citizens. The key issue is find out who exactly in Russia may be affected by mobilization and what are the consequences of refusing to go to war.

The update on the situation in Russia may be completed in course of few weeks. It is based on data collection that began in the autumn. At the same time, Finnish authorities do not want asylum seekers in Finland to be persecuted in Russia.

In fact, the war in Ukraine greatly affects the number of people who seek asylum in Finland. The war has also changed the reasons why Russians are asked for help from the Finnish authorities. After the announcement of mobilization in Russia, many Russians came to Finland to avoid conscription. The Migration Service is currently waiting for the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA) to clarify whether refusal to participate in the war can be the reason for asylum.

Previously, authorities in neighboring Norway have expressed uncertainty whether or not to grant asylum to Russians fleeing mobilization. Since the beginning of the war, the number of requests has grown tenfold, from 13 in 2021 to 294 in 2022.