Ukrainians have automatically received protection in Norway since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression. The government in Oslo now considers western areas of Ukraine to be safe. This has consequences for refugees hoping for asylum.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Norwegian authorities decided to grant “collective protection” to Ukrainian refugees. They were automatically granted asylum without their applications being individually examined.
In the future, this rule will apply to fewer Ukrainians. As the government in Oslo announced, six areas in western Ukraine are considered safe by the Norwegian immigration authorities. The protection needs of people from these areas are now decided on a case-by-case basis – this means that their asylum applications can also be rejected.
Municipalities complain about the burden
The Norwegian government justified the restriction on the impact of the high number of refugees on the housing market, health services and educational institutions in certain Norwegian municipalities. “We cannot accept a disproportionate share of displaced people compared to similar countries such as the Nordic countries,” said Norwegian Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl.
Norway, with its almost 5.5 million inhabitants, says it has taken in 85,000 people from Ukraine so far. Around 10 percent of the Ukrainians who have come to Norway so far in 2024 come from the six affected areas.
Enger Mehl also highlighted that a growing proportion of Ukrainian refugees are men of fighting age, while the Ukrainian army is struggling to fill its ranks. The government said the changes were being made to help those who still need protection. Ukraine continues to be actively supported.
Benefits for refugees cut
The Norwegian authorities had previously restricted services for Ukrainian refugees. The aim was to reduce the number of new arrivals from Ukraine and to motivate refugees in the country to find work.
In Germany there are currently no restrictions for certain Ukrainian areas. According to the federal government, a total of 1.18 million Ukrainian refugees were living in Germany at the end of 2023. Given the overload in many municipalities, there are also calls here to cut benefits for Ukrainian refugees.
