About 800 Russians who have requested asylum in Finland have been waiting for over two years for a decision on their residence applications from the Migration Service (Migri). The overwhelming majority are young people with higher education (some holding multiple degrees) who have a long working life ahead of them. However, due to their uncertain…
Tag: Russian asylum seekers
Any Russian asylum seekers? Migrant Tales wants to contact you.
We are seeking to speak with any person who has in any way been sent by Russian officials to Finland since August 2023 as an asylum seeker – or anyone who knows such a person. As you know the Petteri Orpo government is seeking to adopt a law to turn such persons away at the…
Finland’s refugee policy returns to the Cold War
I was surprised again to read a story in Yle about Russian army deserters crossing the Finnish border “without permission.” Without permission?! Understanding that the Russian deserters had crossed the border to ask for asylum in Finland, can we state that there is something “illegal” about this? A ridiculous claim by a Finnish tabloid. How…
Russian asylum-seeker family’s securty compromised by asylum reception center
A Russian family under serious threat of human rights violations plans to complain to the chancellor of justice against the Imatra asylum reception center, which alleges had endangered the Russian asylum seekers’ security. The family lived in Finland during 2017-2020. They are Ludmila*, her elderly mother, husband, and three other family members, including four cats. A…
Russian asylum seekers leave Finland and then are eager to return
THE STORY WAS UPDATED For many Russian nationals of diverse backgrounds seeking asylum, the EU can be a house of mirrors, a labyrinth that leads you to dead ends. It isn’t easy to peer too deep into the future since ordinary days appear like years under these circumstances. One such case is of Russian asylum seeker Ludmila’s family that…