Janne Lepsä, chief superintendent of Finland's National Police Board, told the outlet "Vot Tak" that 90 of the deportees were sent directly to Russia, while 65 were expelled to other countries. Seventeen of the deportations were carried out under escort.
The most common reason for deportation is a refusal by the Finnish Immigration Service to grant a residence permit. Lepsä said that in 2026, about 15–20 expulsion decisions were made in connection with criminal activity by Russians in Finland.
This year, Finnish authorities began deporting Russians directly across the closed border. Previously, they were transported to Estonia and then sent to the Russian side, "Vot Tak" reported, citing activists.
Journalist Valery Klepkin, who lives in Finland, explained that Russians with expired foreign passports are among those being sent back to their homeland: because of the invalid document, it is problematic to send them to other countries.
At the same time, in 2026 Russians have been granted asylum more often. From September 2024 to June 2025, the immigration service issued 186 positive decisions out of 869 (21%). For the comparable period in 2025–2026, it was 119 out of 320 decisions (37%).
Among those whom Finnish authorities refused asylum in recent months, "Vot Tak" mentions activists Roman Golikov, Olga and Nikita Belov, and Valentin Sergienko. Last week, a court in Finland overturned the asylum refusal for the Belovs — in the spring they were detained and prepared for deportation to Russia, but after the intervention of consuls of the Anti-War Committee, the mother and son were released from a temporary detention center in Helsinki. In August, Finland refused asylum to Sergienko: in the authorities' view, the risk of his persecution in Russia is insufficient. He is appealing the decision.
As of May 31, 2026, only 60 asylum applications from Russians were pending at the Finnish Immigration Service, and 91 cases were before the Supreme Administrative Court.