Key facts
- US deportations of Russians rose from 222 in 2023 to over 1,200 in 2025.
- Germany deported over 110 Russian nationals in 2025, up from seven in 2023.
- Russian political prisoners increased by over 460 in 2025, reaching 1,265.
- The proportion of Russian asylum applicants granted protection in the EU fell to 17% in the first nine months of 2025.
Western countries are increasingly deporting Russian citizens who sought asylum, including activists and army deserters, who then face severe repercussions upon return. Katya, an activist deported from the US, described being interrogated by Russian security services and placed under surveillance. Leonid Melekhin, another deportee, received a six-year prison sentence for his anti-war activism. The US Department of Homeland Security stated that all illegal aliens receive due process, and those found without a right to be in the country are removed. Germany and the US have seen a sharp increase in deportations of Russian nationals, while asylum approval rates have fallen significantly across the EU.