Russia and Europe Tighten the Vise on Dissident Russians

Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a new law targeting Russians living abroad who oppose his government. The law restricts the provision of consular services to Russian citizens who have been convicted in absentia in political cases.

Under the new measure, those convicted of certain offenses—including violations of the "foreign agent" law or "defamation" of the Russian military—will no longer be able to renew their Russian passports or receive other essential consular services. This could affect thousands of Russian citizens. The number of individuals and organizations labeled "foreign agents" has already surpassed 1,600 and continues to grow.

The move comes as European countries increasingly make it harder for Russian citizens who have spoken out against the invasion of Ukraine and left the country to renew their residency permits or apply for asylum. Conscientious Russians are thus being punished from both sides for their decision to oppose a brutal war.

The author of this article, a Russian dissident living in exile, shares his own story. In May 2022, Russia initiated legal proceedings against him and his family. It was one of the first known cases in which the Russian authorities sought to strip a person of citizenship for political views and opposition to the war in Ukraine.

He had left the country in March of that year after being detained for protesting the war. After nearly a year of legal proceedings, the final decision to revoke his only citizenship was issued, leading to his family members being detained, threatened, and forced to leave the country within three days.

He became stateless while living in exile in Germany, and was also banned from entering Russia for 50 years. Fortunately, because he has Armenian roots, he was able to apply for Armenian citizenship, a process that took a year to complete.

Since then, Russia has systematically expanded legal mechanisms to punish those who oppose the government from abroad. In 2023, a new citizenship law introduced provisions allowing authorities to revoke citizenship from naturalized citizens convicted of a broad range of "crimes," including those related to "defamation" of the Russian armed forces, extremism, and actions deemed to threaten national security. As a result, more than 4,500 people have been stripped of Russian citizenship since October 2023.

The new law introduces a mechanism that makes Russian dissidents de facto stateless. Those targeted remain Russian citizens on paper but are stripped of the protections and services that citizenship should provide. Because citizenship is not formally revoked, these individuals cannot receive protection under the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

Russia is not alone; Europe is also tightening residency and asylum rules. In Germany, one of the main destinations for Russian refugees, humanitarian visa pathways are now extremely limited. The German government has also begun deporting Russian military deserters to third countries, despite the risks they may face if returned to Russia. Some deported individuals have ended up in prison, while others have been sent to the front lines.

In Finland, more than 1,000 Russians have been deported and over 1,100 asylum applications rejected since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In the Baltic states, there are increasing restrictions on Russian citizens, including a recent ban on purchasing real estate in Estonia.

Russians have few alternatives beyond Europe. In the United States, the government has indefinitely suspended asylum applications since December last year and has deported hundreds of Russian asylum seekers. In Central Asia, governments are deporting Russians at Moscow's request. Asian countries such as Vietnam and Thailand maintain relatively open entry policies but do not grant political asylum status.

The author argues that governments have reasons to be suspicious of the Russian state and to want to prevent sanctions evasion, espionage, and other threats. But treating nationality as a test of political loyalty creates a situation where those who oppose an authoritarian regime are punished for fleeing to places where they might otherwise find safety.

The issue becomes more urgent as fears of a new mobilization wave once again prompt Russians to consider leaving the country. Currently, there is no safe and guaranteed path for Russian men who refuse military service and wish to apply for asylum abroad.

Meanwhile, Putin appears to be preparing the Russian people for an endless war. Last month, he claimed that citizens he met told him: "If the special military operation (the war) ends, then what will we have to do?"

Russia has spent years reorganizing its political, economic, and social systems around war to such an extent that its leader now suggests people cannot imagine life without conflict. Those Russians who are actively thinking about and working toward peace are the ones who have chosen to leave the country at great risk. Instead of being punished by governments that claim to oppose Putin's regime, they should be granted asylum or other legal status so they can contribute to a peaceful future for Russia in safety.