The administrative court in Finland dismissed the complaint of Russian citizen Valentin Sergienko and his family against the decision of the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) to deny them political asylum, former St. Petersburg municipal deputy Svetlana Utkina reported.
Sergienko left Russia with his parents in September 2022 after the announcement of mobilization. The family initially sought asylum in Germany, but their case was transferred to Finland under the Dublin Regulation, and they moved there in July 2023.
Migri justified the refusal by saying that Sergienko's political activity was "not sufficiently large-scale and public for him to attract the personal attention of the Russian authorities." At the same time, the agency acknowledged as proven that the Russian had donated to FBK (the Anti-Corruption Foundation, founded by Alexei Navalny), OVD-Info, and other opposition organizations, and had participated in protests.
The family must report to the Finnish police on August 14. If they do not leave the country voluntarily, they may face forced deportation.
While awaiting the decision, Sergienko graduated from Helsinki Business College, completed an internship, and received a job offer. He could not accept it because, after the asylum refusal, he lost the right to work in Finland. In 2025, the family registered an IT company that developed an application for the University of Helsinki incubator. After the move, Sergienko's mother was diagnosed with cancer; she underwent surgery and chemotherapy.