Rise in Afghan Asylum Requests in Russia in 2025
Russia’s state news agency TASS has reported that in 2025, at least 281 Afghan citizens filed asylum applications in the country. According to these statistics, Afghanistan ranks third in the number of asylum seekers.
The report states that the highest number of asylum requests last year came from Ukrainian nationals, totaling 3,332. Following them, Syria is in second place with 3,196 asylum applications in Russia.
Continuing the list, Uzbekistan with 176 applicants and Germany with 129 individuals are among the top five nationalities applying for temporary asylum in Russia. In total, 8,220 foreign citizens applied for temporary asylum in 2025, marking an increase of 1,341 cases compared to 2024.
Under Russian law, temporary asylum grants holders the right to legal residence and allows them to work without an official permit, access healthcare services covered by compulsory insurance, obtain travel documents, pursue educational opportunities, and receive certain financial assistance. This status is still considered the first step towards obtaining temporary residence permits and ultimately Russian citizenship.
