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Russian Draft Dodgers Denied Asylum in Finland

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Russian Draft Dodgers Denied Asylum in Finland
A closed Vaalimaa border checkpoint between Finland and Russia in Virolahti, Finland, on January 14, 2024. (Source: Getty Images)

Since spring 2022, at least 1,000 Russian citizens have sought asylum in Finland, fearing conscription and deployment to fight against Ukraine, but after prolonged waits, many have started receiving rejections from Finnish immigration authorities, Finnish media Satakieli reported on December 10.

According to Nikita Kirillov, a representative of the Initiative for Resistance and Dialogue (FoReDi) human rights organization, at least 5 asylum applications have been rejected in the past two months. All applicants have filed appeals. Journalists have also documented 2 additional rejection cases.

Kirillov explained that Finnish authorities argue that ‘partial’ mobilization in Russia has officially ended, suggesting that applicants no longer face immediate threats.

However, Russia has never officially published any document confirming the cessation of mobilization. The exact timelines and scale of conscription remain classified.

The Finnish Immigration Service acknowledged that fear of mobilization could be grounds for asylum but emphasized that decisions depend on the specific circumstances of each applicant.

Kirillov pointed out that in 2024, Finland approved asylum applications from Russian nationals, but none were related to mobilization fears. Successful cases typically involved applicants engaged in political or journalistic activities.

According to FoReDi, approximately 500 Russian asylum seekers in Finland currently cite threats of mobilization or military conscription as their primary reason for seeking refuge.

Earlier, Finland’s government proposed to ban most Russian citizens from purchasing property in the country to safeguard national security.

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