May 16, 2024

A New Wave of Emigration to Europe


A New Wave of Emigration to Europe
The flag of the European Union, seen in Karlskrona (Sweden). MPD01605, Wikimedia Commons

According to Eurostat data analyzed by the independent outlet Verstka, in 2023 at least 18,820 Russian citizens applied for asylum in European Union nations.

This surge in asylum requests surpasses figures from the last seven years. The previous high was 2016, when 22,930 Russian citizens sought asylum in EU countries. The increase in applications during that period was primarily attributed to refugees from Chechnya fleeing alleged repression.

Eurostat reported that Germany received the highest number of asylum applications: 7,655. France followed with 4,125 requests, while Spain ranked third, with 1,615. The spike in asylum applications in 2023 may be connected to the mass wave of emigration triggered by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and subsequent mobilization efforts and economic shifts. An estimated 800,000 persons departed Russia in 2022.

At the same time, approximately half of these emigrants were unable to acclimate to their new countries and returned to Russia, contributing significantly to the Russian economy, constituting between a fifth and a third of the total GDP in 2023. Sociologists Emil Kamalov and Ivetta Sergeeva suggest that this trend of repatriation will continue in the future, as only 41% of Russian emigrants perceive their situation in foreign countries as fully or partially stable, with a quarter reporting experiences of discrimination at the personal or institutional level.

However, factors such as new mobilization drives and increased repression could influence individuals' decisions to return to Russia.

You Might Also Like

Vlad the Long-Lived?
  • May 11, 2024

Vlad the Long-Lived?

"God forbid that the end of the century means the end of your stay in power," said Patriarch Kirill during Putin's May 7 inauguration.
Small Things Can Fix Everything
  • May 06, 2024

Small Things Can Fix Everything

From looking for a lost cat to gathering signatures for Boris Nadezhdin, Russians find hope in their communities. 
Returning Home to Kill
  • April 29, 2024

Returning Home to Kill

More than 100 persons have been killed by returning Russian soldiers since the beginning of Russia's War on Ukraine.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955