Finnish court reopens asylum case of two Russians who were days from deportation
A Finnish court has ordered a review of the deportation case against Olga Belova and her son, Nikita Belov, two Russians who helped Ukrainian refugees, the British newspaper The Guardian reported, citing the family’s lawyer.
Two Russians, Olga Belova and her son Nikita Belov, are set to have their deportation case reviewed by a Finnish court, The Guardian reported, citing the pair's lawyer. The Immigration Service previously denied them asylum due to concerns they were at risk of persecution. Belova expressed relief, saying this was the first positive news in four years marred by "constant uncertainty and fear of deportation."
Antti Lehtinen, director of the international protection department at the agency, stated that only about 5% of its decisions are reviewed annually. The Belovs fled Russia upon the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Nikita's involvement in a "secret project" at the Bardin Central Research Institute initially led to his deportation threat.
However, his superiors later admitted the project was unrelated to the war, but the Belovs' humanitarian work with Ukrainian refugees in Finland continued. They applied for asylum but were rejected in April 2026, leading to their arrest and imminent deportation. The Helsinki Administrative Court suspended the deportation order on April 27.
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