Russian EU permits rise to 876,600 since 2022 invasion

Russian nationals held 876,600 valid European Union residence permits at the end of 2025, up 105,000 since early 2022, Euronews said Oct. 21, citing Eurostat data.

The increase, 13.6% above the 771,800 Russian permit holders recorded in 2021, shows how the war in Ukraine has reshaped migration patterns while EU governments tighten security and visa policies.

Germany had the largest Russian community in the EU, with 218,000 residents at the end of 2025, according to the Euronews article. Spain followed with 116,800 and Estonia with 78,400.

Growth was concentrated in parts of southern Europe. Spain added 44,400 Russian permit holders over the period, France added 13,700, while Cyprus and Portugal saw their Russian-born populations rise 2.5 times and 3.5 times, respectively.

Anastasia Burakova, a lawyer and founder of Kovcheg, a legal assistance project for Russians abroad, linked the latest departures to fear and uncertainty inside Russia. “Everyone now understands that they have no future in Russia. There is no image of the future, no understanding of what will happen in six months or a year,” she said.

“What is more, there are risks linked to mobilisation and conscription, which people feel very personally.”

The movement has not been uniform. Euronews said Latvia, Estonia and the Czech Republic recorded the largest declines in Russian residents, citing stricter migration rules and, in the Baltic states, security concerns tied to large Russian-speaking communities.

The EU figures capture valid temporary or permanent residence permits, not every Russian who left the country after the invasion. Significant Russian communities also grew outside the bloc: Serbia’s Russian population rose from about 5,000 before the invasion to 61,900 by the end of 2025, while Kazakhstan had received more than 107,000 Russian migrants by spring.

Turkey saw a different trajectory. It attracted large numbers after the invasion, then tightened residency rules; valid Russian permits there fell to 75,900 by June, about half the 2023 peak, according to Euronews.

The economic impact has varied by host country. Euronews cited analysis by the CASE Center research institute showing that inflows of people and capital helped Armenia and Georgia reach peak GDP growth of 9% to 9.4% between 2022 and 2024, before growth eased back to 5% to 7% annually.

The return flow is disputed. The independent OutRush sociological project estimated that no more than 8% of emigrants had gone back to Russia by summer 2024, with about 5% more planning to do so. The Institute of Applied Economic Research at RANEPA, described by Euronews as a state-linked academic institution, put returns from the 2022-2023 wave at roughly 10%.