A Russian opponent of Vladimir Putin’s regime who often protested in London against the invasion of Ukraine has been found dead, after being rejected for UK asylum and waiting over a year for an appeal hearing.
Alexander Frolov died in Acton on 28 July aged 26. Friends believe he killed himself, saying that long and distressing delays to his ongoing refugee claim left him feeling hopeless.
An inquest into his death will be held next week, but the Metropolitan Police are not thought to be investigating any suspicious circumstances.
Russian exiles living in the UK have warned of the mental strain facing anti-Putin demonstrators who become stuck in British legal limbo and fear jail if forced back home.
Frolov came to the UK legally on a temporary visa as a seasonal agricultural worker in 2021.
His friend, Galina Shakirova, said he intended to “earn some money and see another country.” But when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, he could not return home because he “refused to take part in killing people,” she said.
It is understood that Frolov submitted his asylum application in December 2022, but this was rejected in April 2024. He had lodged an appeal but was still waiting for a hearing to be scheduled when he died.
Alexander Frolov joined demonstrations like this one by the Russian Democratic Society (Photos: Galina Shakirova / Getty Images)In a statement, the Russian Democratic Society said that Frolov “was a dedicated opponent of Putin’s regime, a volunteer who gave his time to help others, and a constant presence at anti-war protests.
“Alexander believed in the possibility of a free and democratic Russia and hoped to one day return to it.”
Shakirova met Frolov, whom she knew as Sasha, while they served as stewards at an anti-war rally. He was “kind, generous, quietly dependable” and they bonded over “quiet resistance.”
She said the Home Office demands substantial evidence of political opposition inside Russia itself to grant political asylum, “while largely dismissing the individual’s activity in the UK – even though this is often when and where people begin to speak out openly.”
Explaining the risks, Shakirova said: “Many of us have protested regularly in front of the Russian Embassy in London, under CCTV and media coverage. We appear in numerous photos, videos and livestreams that circulate on social media and in news outlets. This makes political persecution upon return to Russia a very real risk.”
Galina Shakirova met Alexander Frolov at an anti-war protest in London (Photo: Galina Shakirova)Since the start of 2022, 759 Russians have been granted refugee status in the UK, but another 465 have been refused. Of 154 Russians currently awaiting initial asylum decisions, 98 have been waiting for more than six months.
Immigration lawyer Lusine Navasardyan, who has advised more than a dozen Russian asylum seekers in recent years, is aware of applicants being rejected despite having previously been detained and tortured in Moscow, after taking part in pro-democracy protests.
There are thought to be more than 1,500 political prisoners in Russia, with most prosecuted for anti-war activities, according to the Council of Europe.
Navasardyan, director of CVS Solicitors, said: “The Home Office would accept that they participated in those demonstrations but then say: ‘You’re low profile, they won’t touch you,'”
She is sad but not surprised to hear of Forlov’s death, having helped other desperate Russians who are “near breaking point” and find tribunals “very scary.”
However, she believes the Home Office is speeding up its processes and has become more considerate in recent months of the risks that Russian protesters can face.
The UK has not been forcibly returning Russians in recent years, and rejected claimants are entitled to appeal. As Frolov experienced, however, that process can also be very slow.
Russian exiles in the UK have regularly protested against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)A Home Office spokesperson said: “It is our longstanding policy not to comment on individual cases.” Officials say they work hard to identify and support the most vulnerable asylum seekers.
But Shakirova, who has been granted asylum, blamed her friend’s death on the “immense” psychological strain of applying for refugee status in the UK.
“I can say this honestly – in May last year, I was ready to end my own life. I had reached that point because of the same reasons that affected Sasha: hopelessness, exhaustion and the overwhelming pressure of the asylum process.”
She said: “Imagine being an opposition activist who knows that returning home almost certainly means prison. You’ve spoken out publicly. You’ve worked with organisations labelled in Russia as ‘undesirable’ or ‘extremist.’
“Then you ask for protection – hoping for safety, for a chance to survive. And instead, you’re refused.”
She continued: “Many countries call on Russians not to give up – to resist, to keep speaking out. But how can you continue to speak out when you know you’ll be imprisoned for it? How can you keep resisting when you have nowhere safe to go?”
Russian protesters often remove the red from their country’s flag as an anti-war statement (Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)Asylum seekers receive an allowance of £49.18 per week. They are banned from working unless their claim has been outstanding for 12 months or more, when they become eligible to apply for permission, and are encouraged to undertake volunteering instead.
Shakirova said these restrictions push people further into depression. By working sooner, “they could support themselves, pay rent and contribute taxes… It might also ease public tensions.”
But ministers believe this could enable economic migrants to bypass the process for work visas, acting as an incentive for people to enter the UK illegally via dangerous Channel crossings.
The Russian Democratic Society helped to raise more than £5,000 to repatriate Frolov’s body, after joining forces with the late Alexei Navalny’s team and other campaign groups. Any remaining funds will be used to help his mother pay for a funeral in his funeral in Yekaterinburg.
The organisation has declared: “The war against Ukraine is criminal, the current Russian political regime is illegitimate, imperialism is unacceptable, and political persecution and forced displacement of Ukrainian citizens must be stopped.”
For confidential emotional support, Samaritans is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call for free on 116 123, email [email protected] or visit samaritans.org
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