Sergei Vyacheslavovich MERZLYAKOV

Director Disqualification Sanction, travel ban and asset freeze

The Secretary of State considers that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that Sergei Vyacheslavovich MERZLYAKOV is an involved person under the Global Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons Sanctions Regulations 2025 as he is or has been involved in a relevant activity, namely the instrumentalisation of migration for the purposes of destabilisation based on the following grounds: Ground 1: as part of a group backed by the Government of Russia, he facilitates the travel of individuals in countries like Iraq, Syria, Somalia and Yemen to Finland via Russia for the purpose of causing the destabilisation of Finland and other European Union Member States. Ground 2: as part of a group backed by the Governments of Russia and Belarus, he facilitates the travel of individuals in countries like Iraq and Syria to Poland via Belarus for the purpose of causing the destabilisation of Poland and other European Union Member States. Ground 3: as part of a group backed by the Government of Russia, he facilitates the travel of individuals in countries like Bangladesh, Iraq, India and Yemen to Ukraine via Russia for the purpose of causing the destabilisation of Ukraine as the individuals are deployed to fight for Russia in its war of aggression in Ukraine.

The Secretary of State considers that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that Sergei Vyacheslavovich MERZLYAKOV is an involved person under the Global Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons Sanctions Regulations 2025 as he is or has been involved in a relevant activity, namely the instrumentalisation of migration for the purposes of destabilisation based on the following grounds: Ground 1: as part of a group backed by the Government of Russia, he facilitates the travel of individuals in countries like Iraq, Syria, Somalia and Yemen to Finland via Russia for the purpose of causing the destabilisation of Finland and other European Union Member States. Ground 2: as part of a group backed by the Governments of Russia and Belarus, he facilitates the travel of individuals in countries like Iraq and Syria to Poland via Belarus for the purpose of causing the destabilisation of Poland and other European Union Member States. Ground 3: as part of a group backed by the Government of Russia, he facilitates the travel of individuals in countries like Bangladesh, Iraq, India and Yemen to Ukraine via Russia for the purpose of causing the destabilisation of Ukraine as the individuals are deployed to fight for Russia in its war of aggression in Ukraine.

Programme GB-SAMLAReference GIM0054Last updated 5 May 2026gov.uk