Finnish court rejects Russian family’s asylum bid despite opposition support, mother’s illness
A Finnish court has rejected an appeal by the family of Russian national Valentin Sergienko against a decision by the country’s migration service, Migri, to deny them political asylum, former St. Petersburg municipal deputy Svetlana Utkina told Mediazona.
A Finnish court has dismissed an asylum request from a Russian family, despite support from opposition groups, according to former St. Petersburg municipal deputy Svetlana Utkina. Valentin Sergienko, a Russian national, and his parents fled Russia following the announcement of a mobilization in September 2022. Initially seeking asylum in Germany, the family was transferred to Finland in 2023.
Migri, the Finnish migration service, denied the family's asylum claim, citing Sergienko's political activity as insufficient to warrant personal attention from Russian authorities. However, Finnish migration authorities deemed Sergienko's contributions to opposition organizations, including the Anti-Corruption Foundation, OVD-Info, and other groups, as well as his participation in protests, as sufficient grounds for asylum.
The family now faces a police meeting on August 14. If they fail to leave Finland willingly, they risk being forcibly removed from the country. Sergienko's mother, diagnosed with cancer upon their arrival in Finland, has since undergone surgery and chemotherapy.
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