– Norway should do the same as the USA and other countries have done, namely to say clearly and clearly that we are open to accepting people who oppose the regime, who need asylum and who also have the education and skills that Norway needs in the years ahead. That’s what Alfred Bjørlo, business policy spokesperson and parliamentary representative for the Liberal Party, says. – We know that it is now a desperate and difficult situation for many in Russia, who oppose the regime and are against Putin’s war of aggression, says Bjørlo. Bjørlo says brain drain is serious for any country. This is particularly critical for Russia in the years to come, because they have become an increasingly isolated country, due to the international boycotts the country is affected by, he believes. – It is clear that academia is a supplier of both new knowledge and new opportunities for the development of business, everything from the arms industry to other parts of business, on which Russia depends in the years ahead, says Bjørlo. Bjørlo therefore believes brain drain is one of the steps that can help to provide an overall effective boycott, in order to limit Russia’s ability to keep a war economy going over time. – It is important to keep in touch with Russians Laura Janda is a professor of Russian and linguistics at the University of Tromsø and knows the Russian academic environment well. Janda has previously advocated that Russian brain drain is a resource for Norway. – I think that we in Norway, and also other countries in Europe, have a historic opportunity to get a boost from these people from Russia. We also have an opportunity to say that we don’t hate Russians, says Janda. That the West hates Russia is part of Putin’s propaganda, says Janda. – But we don’t hate Russians, we can accept them, says Janda. Since the war in Ukraine started, over 300,000 Russians have moved from Russia, says Janda. – For the most part, it is young, talented, well-educated, skilled researchers and IT specialists who have moved out, says Janda. Laura Janda, professor of Russian and linguistics at the University of Tromsø, says there is a whole generation of people that we can help, and also get help from. Photo: UiT / Jørn Berger Nyvoll Janda believes it can be even better to invest in people, than just in weapons. – It is also important to keep in touch with Russians who are still in Russia. I have long-term collaboration with researchers in Russia, some researchers I have worked with for over 30 years, says Janda. It is not the case that everyone who is against the war has already moved from Russia, explains Janda. Some of them are staying because they have old parents, whom they have to take care of, or there are other reasons why they cannot travel. – Those who have left Russia have left everything they own, for example, they have left their apartment and car, and only taken their computer and suitcase with them, but perhaps most importantly, they have left all the funds and money they had. They now have to start all over again, says Janda. Janda knows researchers who patch together income with various small grants and part-time jobs in France and Germany. – But at most they only have plans for a few months ahead. There is a whole generation of people that we can help, and also get help from, says Janda. For the most part, they are young, talented, well-educated, skilled researchers and IT specialists, who have moved from Russia after the war, says Laura Janda, professor of Russian and linguistics at the University of Tromsø. Here: Moscow State University. Photo: Anne Bøhler / news – A most comprehensive, comprehensive boycott Bjørlo believes Russian academics can contribute a lot in Norway. – First of all, we know that in academic circles there is a long tradition of exchange across borders, you work in a common language and with subjects that are easy to collaborate on, across languages and borders, says Bjørlo. Bjørlo says we know that Norway needs more people with professional expertise in several academic areas, such as science and medicine. – So these are areas where we know that international exchange is both desirable and possible, and important to achieve for Norway as a nation, also in the years to come, says Bjørlo. – Are there any other sanctions that could be more effective against Russia than this? – What we are concerned about from the Left’s side is that we have a sanctions regime that hits Russia broadly, hard and effectively, in many areas. This act of being an emergency haven for Russian academics is a measure, but in addition to that, we must also further tighten the economic boycott measures, says Bjørlo. The left wants, among other things, a more comprehensive port ban on Russian vessels. – This is not about one or the other measure. It’s about us having the most comprehensive, comprehensive boycott possible, which hits Putin where it hits hardest, and then it’s hitting the Russian economy, which makes it possible to keep the war in Ukraine going, says Bjørlo. Ministry of Justice: sees no basis State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice John-Erik Vika writes in an e-mail to news that it is the UDI that determines which visa practice shall apply to the individual countries. – The ministry is careful about instructing about practice in areas that require good knowledge of local conditions, writes Vika. Vika adds that they see no basis for giving Russian academics a better opportunity to travel to Norway and seek asylum than potential asylum seekers from other countries. – Having said that: All asylum applications from Russian citizens are subjected to a thorough and individual assessment. Those who are assessed as having a need for protection are allowed to stay, writes Vika.
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The left wants emergency visas for Russian academics – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
