Nikita and Olga Belov, a Russian son and mother who publicly supported Ukraine after fleeing Russia in 2022, face possible deportation from Finland after being denied asylum twice. They say returning to Moscow would expose them to arrest, imprisonment and potential torture.
The Belovs were detained in April while awaiting deportation, then released after a court intervention. They are now waiting for a decision that could allow Finnish authorities to deport them within weeks.
Why the Belovs left Russia
Nikita Belov, 25, said he left an engineering job at a Moscow research institute after discovering that his work on metallurgical technologies was connected to Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. He said his boss threatened him with arrest or being sent to the frontline when he tried to leave the project.
The family said Russian authorities then sought information about Nikita, including through military summons, threatening messages, a call to his mother and a police visit to their home. Nikita and his mother, Olga, 55, a nurse anaesthetist, concluded they had no option but to leave Russia.
Their activism in Finland
After arriving in Finland on visas, the mother and son became vocal supporters of Ukraine. They volunteered at a local Ukraine centre and helped coordinate humanitarian assistance, including first-aid supplies, food, clothing, Starlink equipment and a 3D printer for Ukrainian forces.
The Belovs first applied for asylum in 2022 and lost an appeal. They applied again this year but were refused and issued a deportation order. Nikita said the detention period caused severe distress, and both he and his mother have since experienced mental-health problems and panic attacks while waiting for the court’s decision.
What Finnish authorities say
The Finnish immigration service told the Belovs that they face “no real risk” if returned to Russia. Their lawyer, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said the pair are very likely to face danger, citing Nikita’s work history and his stated access to confidential government information in a previous role.
A Finnish immigration service spokesperson said individual cases are assessed separately. Antti Lehtinen, director of the department for international protection, said opposition to the war and related activities may constitute persecution based on political opinion; applicants assessed as being at risk of persecution or serious harm in Russia will be granted international protection.
A wider dispute over Russian asylum claims
The Belov case is understood to be among a number of cases in which Russians have been refused asylum in Finland. Legal experts cited in the source said future risk and human rights concerns have not been sufficiently assessed, while changes to border policy and asylum procedures, including reduced access to legal aid, have made refugee status harder to obtain.
Official statistics cited by the source show that Finland deported 1,039 Russians between February 2022 and June 2026, more than any other nationality. In the same period, 1,109 of 1,342 Russians were refused entry in connection with a negative asylum application.
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