Finland sees sharp rise in deportations, Russian nationals among top targets

Between January and June 2025, Finnish authorities deported 90 Russian nationals, 16 of whom were removed under police escort.

“In January–June of this year, the police deported 1,374 people from Finland... In the same period last year, 1,043 people were deported. If the pace continues in the second half of the year, a total of 2,748 people will be deported from Finland in 2025,” the Finnish media stated, underscoring a significant year-on-year increase of 31.7%.

Citizens of Estonia, Romania, Russia, and Iraq featured most prominently among those expelled. The primary grounds for deportation, according to authorities, was the absence of a valid residence permit.

The sharp rise in deportations comes amid tightening immigration controls across parts of Europe. In a related development, Latvian authorities on July 18 ordered Russian citizens without permanent EU resident status to leave the country. According to official data, 841 Russian nationals residing in Latvia had failed to renew or convert their residency permits by the required deadline.

Latvia had given affected individuals—those who previously held permanent residence status in the republic—until June 30 to submit documentation for permanent EU residency. The process included mandatory proof of passing the Latvian language proficiency exam.

By Vafa Guliyeva