NATO Member to Restrict Ukrainian Immigration
Norway has announced it will repatriate Ukrainian refugees from six designated "safe" western regions and expects others to transition away from welfare and integrate into society, according to officials in Oslo. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Norway has announced a policy change regarding asylum for Ukrainians, stating that refugees from six regions labeled as “safe” will no longer receive automatic asylum status. The government in Oslo reports that over the past two and a half years, the country has welcomed 85,000 Ukrainians.
The number of new arrivals has seen a 40% decline over the past year, attributed to reductions in benefits and housing. However, there has been a recent uptick in arrivals.
“Immigration to Norway must be controlled and sustainable, and not disproportionately greater than in our peer countries,” Minister of Justice and Public Security Emilie Mehl stated on Friday. “In [the] future, asylum seekers from Ukraine will therefore be treated on a more equal footing to other asylum seekers.”
Mehl clarified that this change means Ukrainians will no longer automatically receive refugee status but will instead be subject to “a specific and individual assessment.” Those coming from regions deemed safe by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration will be denied asylum “if no individual need for protection exists.”
“In parts of the country the fighting is very brutal, but other parts are far less affected by the war,” Mehl noted. “People who come from the areas that UDI considers safe will therefore be treated in the same way as asylum seekers from other countries.”
The UDI identifies six regions as safe: Lviv, Volyn, Transcarpathia, Ivano-Frankovsk, Tarnopol, and Rovno, all situated in western Ukraine.
While approximately 10% of the Ukrainians who have arrived in Norway this year are from these regions, Minister of Labor and Social Inclusion Tonje Brenna emphasized that the new rules will not apply retroactively.
Norway is also implementing changes to the status of all refugees to promote “good integration” and ease pressure on its limited resources.
“Norwegian municipalities are starting to reach capacity. Housing is in short supply, and there is pressure on welfare services,” Brenna remarked. “Ukrainians who come to Norway must learn Norwegian, find work, and get an education,” she added.
Oslo aims to maintain its support for Kyiv but recognizes the need to secure backing from its citizens, especially as the conflict in Ukraine “is set to continue indefinitely,” according to the government.
Millions of Ukrainians have fled the war, primarily toward central and western European nations that offer substantial welfare benefits. Recently, these countries have begun cutting assistance, and some have even considered repatriating fighting-age men at Ukraine’s request.
Just last month, Hungary ceased housing subsidies for thousands of Ukrainian refugees from western areas, citing their safety for return.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
The number of new arrivals has seen a 40% decline over the past year, attributed to reductions in benefits and housing. However, there has been a recent uptick in arrivals.
“Immigration to Norway must be controlled and sustainable, and not disproportionately greater than in our peer countries,” Minister of Justice and Public Security Emilie Mehl stated on Friday. “In [the] future, asylum seekers from Ukraine will therefore be treated on a more equal footing to other asylum seekers.”
Mehl clarified that this change means Ukrainians will no longer automatically receive refugee status but will instead be subject to “a specific and individual assessment.” Those coming from regions deemed safe by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration will be denied asylum “if no individual need for protection exists.”
“In parts of the country the fighting is very brutal, but other parts are far less affected by the war,” Mehl noted. “People who come from the areas that UDI considers safe will therefore be treated in the same way as asylum seekers from other countries.”
The UDI identifies six regions as safe: Lviv, Volyn, Transcarpathia, Ivano-Frankovsk, Tarnopol, and Rovno, all situated in western Ukraine.
While approximately 10% of the Ukrainians who have arrived in Norway this year are from these regions, Minister of Labor and Social Inclusion Tonje Brenna emphasized that the new rules will not apply retroactively.
Norway is also implementing changes to the status of all refugees to promote “good integration” and ease pressure on its limited resources.
“Norwegian municipalities are starting to reach capacity. Housing is in short supply, and there is pressure on welfare services,” Brenna remarked. “Ukrainians who come to Norway must learn Norwegian, find work, and get an education,” she added.
Oslo aims to maintain its support for Kyiv but recognizes the need to secure backing from its citizens, especially as the conflict in Ukraine “is set to continue indefinitely,” according to the government.
Millions of Ukrainians have fled the war, primarily toward central and western European nations that offer substantial welfare benefits. Recently, these countries have begun cutting assistance, and some have even considered repatriating fighting-age men at Ukraine’s request.
Just last month, Hungary ceased housing subsidies for thousands of Ukrainian refugees from western areas, citing their safety for return.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
