Russian citizens living in Europe say the EU’s new visa restrictions are landing hardest on the very people who fled Vladimir Putin’s system, creating a wave of anxiety among exiles who fear being stranded, separated from family or forced into unsafe returns.

The policy, announced this week, tightens visa renewal rules and travel permissions for millions of Russians across the continent. European officials say the move is a response to a series of sabotage attacks and espionage concerns linked to Russian military intelligence. For Brussels, the step is framed as a national security necessity at a time when states from Germany to Estonia report heightened threats targeting rail lines, energy systems and political institutions.

But across Europe, from Berlin and Warsaw to Tbilisi and Vilnius, Russian dissidents, professionals and students say the decision feels like collective punishment. Many left Russia after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, fearing conscription, repression or imprisonment under Moscow’s wartime laws. Now they say they are being treated as extensions of a state they rejected.

Interviews with several exiles reveal a common theme. Those who fled political persecution and anti-war journalists who cannot return to Russia worry they will lose residency status because rules for renewing long-term visas are becoming stricter. Families who escaped quickly in 2022 with temporary visas now face obstacles that could prevent them from staying legally in Europe. Students fear they may not be able to complete degrees or keep scholarships if renewals stall.

European officials insist the restrictions are not blanket bans but targeted controls aimed at limiting risks from individuals who could pose security threats. The EU says the policy does not apply to asylum seekers or those with recognized protection status. National governments still retain the ability to issue humanitarian exemptions.

Yet those assurances have done little to calm the growing sense of uncertainty. Russian exiles say their lives are now in limbo, and human rights groups argue that the policy aligns with Moscow’s interests by weakening diaspora communities that have been vocal opponents of Putin’s rule.

Some activists warn that forcing anti-war Russians into illegal status or pushing them to return home would expose them to arrest or forced military service. Others say it reinforces Kremlin propaganda that Europe is inherently hostile to Russians.

The tension reflects a deeper challenge across the EU. As security concerns rise, governments are looking for ways to limit risks without undermining the rights of migrants, dissidents and refugees who depend on Europe’s protections. The visa dispute highlights how those two priorities increasingly collide.

For now, Russian exiles say they are bracing for a long period of uncertainty, waiting to see how strictly individual member states enforce the new rules. Many describe the situation as another blow in a series of displacements caused first by their government and now by the continent they hoped would offer stability.