They fled Russia, but the West sent them back

What the report says

BBC World News reports that a growing number of anti-government and anti-war Russians seeking safety abroad are being forced back to Russia from the United States and Europe, despite fears of arrest, conscription or other retaliation at home. The article focuses on several individual cases, including Katya, a Russian activist whose asylum bid in the US was rejected before she was deported to Moscow, and Artyom, a former Russian soldier who says he deserted and was later returned to Russia via Egypt.

According to the BBC, the trend has intensified over the past year as Western asylum systems have become less receptive and immigration enforcement has tightened. The report cites US removals rising sharply and German deportations of Russian nationals increasing, while asylum approval rates for Russians have fallen in Germany and across the EU. Activists and lawyers quoted in the piece say some deportees have faced interrogation, criminal charges, prison or military summonses after return.

The story places these cases against a broader backdrop of worsening repression in Russia and tougher migration politics in the West. Rights groups and exiled opposition figures warn that authorities in Europe and the US often underestimate the risks faced by political dissidents, draft evaders and Jehovah’s Witnesses. The BBC also notes official responses from US and German authorities, which say asylum decisions are based on legal standards and due process.