Ukrainians and Syrians Lead Asylum Requests in Russia

Data from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs revealed that Ukrainians and Syrians topped the list of asylum seekers in Russia during the first half of this year. There were 427 asylum applications from Syrians and 97 from Afghans, while nationals from Iran, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan ranked among the top ten nationalities applying for asylum. In 2025, the total number of temporary asylum applications in Russia reached 8,820, with 4,111 submitted in the first six months, and the highest numbers coming from Syrians (1,841) and Ukrainians (1,140). Since 2022, more than 93,000 Ukrainians have applied for asylum in Russia.