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After being denied asylum and told that they faced little risk back home, the pair were \u201con the brink of deportation,\u201d Belov, 25, said, before a court stepped in and ordered their case to be reconsidered.\nHundreds of Russians have landed in a similar situation in recent years. After fleeing to Europe to escape state repression, many of them manage to find a legal path to permanent residency \u2014 but others face a harsh reality when their\u00a0asylum applications are rejected at their host country\u2019s discretion.\nIn 2025, the EU reported that more than 10,000 Russians were ordered to leave the bloc\u2019s member states. Advocates argue that high-profile cases like the Belovs\u2019 show that some of the most vulnerable among them are slipping through the cracks.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNikita Belov and his mother Olga.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tactivatica.org\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Experts who spoke with The Moscow Times attributed the trend in rejected asylum applications to rising anti-immigration sentiment across Europe, which is pressuring governments to\u00a0curb pathways to settlement.\n\u201cThere is a strong wave of fighting illegal migration,\u201d said Artyom Klyga, a lawyer based in Germany who works on cases of conscientious objectors and army deserters, some of the most at-risk\u00a0asylum seekers from Russia. \u201cIt\u2019s become a very popular topic for the political agenda, not only in Germany but in all of Europe.\u201d\nIn the Belovs\u2019 case, it\u2019s unclear to what extent broader political trends were a factor. The evidence is largely circumstantial: In Finland, a right-wing government that came to power in 2023 has taken steps to curb illegal immigration and accelerated deportations, coinciding with sweeping new EU-wide migration rules designed to expedite the processing of asylum applications.\nThe Belovs\u2019 lawyer told The Guardian that those changes in particular have created headaches since they came into effect this summer, adding that it\u2019s now \u201ceven more difficult to get refugee status, even with clear political opinion showing.\u201d Back in Russia, they face likely persecution for speaking out against the war in Ukraine. Their case was only reconsidered after a large public outcry. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \u201cIt certainly left a deep mark,\u201d Belov said in a phone interview with The Moscow Times, reflecting on his and his mother\u2019s ordeal, which saw them detained briefly this spring. \u201cIt still causes severe stress, sometimes even panic attacks.\u201d \n\u201cI don\u2019t know how long it will take to recover from this considering the process is not yet over and a positive decision is not guaranteed,\u201d he added.\nElsewhere, the stories of Russians facing asylum denials and expulsions cut across demographics and geography. Last year, Austria deported two men from the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya who were at risk of being conscripted back home. A few months later, Latvia ordered 841 Russian citizens to leave after they failed to undergo background checks and prove their proficiency in the local language.\nOne of the countries that has attracted the most attention is Germany, whose historically liberal immigration policies have made it one of the top destinations for migrants in recent decades.\nDuring the initial months of Russia\u2019s full-scale war against Ukraine, German officials signaled that their country could serve as a safe haven for Russians fleeing conscription. The reality, however, has fallen far short of the rhetoric: a report by German media last year revealed that 95% of asylum applications from draft-eligible Russian men had been rejected since the war began. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRussian conscripts at a military enlistment office in Moscow.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVasily Kuzmichenok / Moskva News Agency \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t In fact, Germany\u2019s so-called \u201ctotal protection rate\u201d \u2014 the number of all positive decisions \u2014 for asylum seekers from Russia declined each year between 2022 and 2025, from 11.5% to 4.8%, according to government tallies shared with The Moscow Times. As of June, this year\u2019s was only slightly higher at 5.1%.\nEdith Avram, a spokesperson for Germany\u2019s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, said in an email that the asylum process is \u201cconducted on an individual case-by-case basis.\u201d\n\u201cThe applicant\u2019s country of origin and the reasons on which the application is based are important factors in the examination of an asylum application,\u201d Avram said. \u201cHowever, neither factor alone determines whether protection is granted or the application is rejected.\u201d\nAdvocates complain that the system is mercurial, producing judgments that ignore the facts \u2014 and risks \u2014 of individual cases.\nIn one recent example, German immigration authorities came under scrutiny for denying an asylum request from Georgy Avaliani, a pacifist who reportedly fled the front line in Ukraine, underwent torture after being recaptured and then escaped again.\nMedia reported that the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees believed there was little risk of him being persecuted in Russia. In reality, deserters can face a harsh punishment of up to 10 years in prison. Klyga, who is advising Avaliani and his German lawyer, said that an appeal against the denial of his asylum request has been filed in a Berlin court. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe headquarters of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees in Nuremberg, Germany.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBAMF\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Similarly, Said Abuyev, a 53-year-old Chechen man facing deportation from Germany, told The Moscow Times that he fears imprisonment or worse back home. He is a regime opponent who previously served four-and-a-half years in a brutal detention facility on charges of weapons possession and being part of an illegal armed group that he claims were fabricated.\nWhen asked what awaits him in Russia, he replied: \u201cI can\u2019t say for sure, but it won\u2019t end well.\u201d\nThe Chechen government is notoriously repressive and operates with near impunity, meting out severe punishments to critics and regularly drawing accusations of human rights abuses. Abuyev\u2019s case is one of many that have caught the attention of advocates who say Europe isn\u2019t doing enough to shelter asylum seekers from the broader North Caucasus region.\nThe prevalence of extraditions and deportations to the North Caucasus grew so alarming that in 2024 human rights watchdog Amnesty International published a report on the issue, calling on EU members to immediately halt the expulsions. But according to Rosa Dunaeva, a Chechen activist based in Austria, little has changed.\n\u201cIt\u2019s double standards,\u201d Dunaeva said. \u201cThey hand over Chechens to Russia without a full risk assessment.\u201d\nAcross Europe, scores of similar cases are likely playing out far from public view. The asylum process is inherently sensitive \u2014 especially when a person faces criminal charges at home \u2014 and many applicants avoid media attention to keep from drawing further scrutiny from the Russian authorities.\nKlyga said that he is aware of a particularly troubling case from this summer in which a Russian man fleeing conscription was deported from Lithuania to Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave between the Baltic country and Poland. The man has been outspoken about his opposition to the war and could face prison time. Klyga requested not to publish the man\u2019s name because it could interfere with efforts to provide support to him. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u00a9 European Union\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Much of Europe\u2019s hesitation in granting asylum to Russians stems from fears that migration could be used as a backdoor for covert Russian operations, analysts say. With Moscow increasingly accused of orchestrating acts of sabotage across the continent, restricting entry to Russians is seen by some governments as an easy political fix.\n\u201cThere is this rising pressure on European policymakers to react to this and to do something about this, and one dimension of this debate is about what can be done with migration,\u201d said Simon Papuashvili, program director for Eastern Europe and the Caucasus at the International Partnership for Human Rights, a Brussels-based NGO.\nFor now, Brussels looks poised to increase restrictions rather than ease them. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas just this week announced that the bloc is considering cutting off visas for former Russian combatants and tightening entry restrictions for tourists. \nHer comments came shortly after Germany said Russia was behind an attempted drone attack at an airport last month. One of the suspects in that incident allegedly holds a Russian passport and obtained an Italian tourist visa, German media reported.\n\u201cIf it is true,\u201d Kallas said of the allegations, \u201cit shows very clearly that visas are a tool of these people who are meaning harm to the European Union.\u201d \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\tA Message from The Moscow Times:\n\tDear readers,\n\tWe are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an \"undesirable\" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a \"foreign agent.\"\n\tThese actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work \"discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership.\" We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.\n\tWe, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.\n\tYour support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.\n\tBy supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tContinue \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tNot ready to support today? 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