Case Summary: Bifituu and Dibora from Ethiopia have been waiting for two years for an asylum interview in Norway. 2,500 other asylum seekers are also waiting for an interview, an increase from an average of 103 days in 2021 to 231 days today. Reception manager Bente Nygård at Solbakken reception in Florø in Vestland county is upset about the situation. Asylum seekers must have actually applied for asylum before they come to the reception. UDI explains the long waiting time with a high influx of asylum seekers in 2022 and 2023. Several political parties and the Civil Service Agency are critical of the long waiting times. The Norwegian Organization for Asylum Seekers (NOAS) points out that long waiting times are challenging for asylum seekers, especially unaccompanied minors. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – It is sad. I have nothing to do. I just have to wait, says Bifituu (22) from his tiny room at Solbakken reception in Florø in Vestland county. Two years ago, she escaped from the war in her native Ethiopia. When she arrived at the national development center in Råde in Viken, she went through all the checkpoints asylum seekers have to go through. This means, among other things, registration, as well as a tuberculosis check. But one important thing was missing when she was sent on, namely the crucial asylum interview. Asylum interview Everyone who applies for asylum in Norway must visit the arrival center in Viken. Here the person is registered and a tuberculosis check is taken. Afterwards, the applicant must go through an asylum interview with the UDI. In this interview, you formally apply for asylum in Norway. In the asylum interview, the person gets to tell why they are applying for asylum. They are also asked questions about identity, family and school. Source UDI It is in these interviews with the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) that you formally apply for asylum in Norway. According to the regulations, “the asylum interview must take place as soon as possible”. But two years have passed. Bifituu is still waiting. Figures from UDI suggest that 2,500 others do the same. Since 2021, the waiting time has gone from an average of 103 days to 231 today. After two years in reception, Dibora and Bifituu have received the 175 hours of Norwegian training and information meetings to which they are entitled. Since they have not been allowed to apply for asylum, they cannot apply for an interim work permit either. Nor can they start higher education, which they both want. Photo: Arne Stubhaug / news Reception manager: – I’m pissed Up to 30 others at the reception in Florø have been waiting a long time for the asylum interview. These are from all nationalities, with the exception of Ukrainians. They have received collective protection and do not need an asylum interview. Reception manager Bente Nygård at Solbakken says it is tough for residents to wait. – They go into limbo and have to live with the uncertainty. They fear that UDI has forgotten them or is missing paper from them. Photo: ARNE STUBHAUG / news It was in autumn 2021 that reception manager Bente Nygård noticed that several of those who came to Florø had not been allowed to apply for asylum. – I’m pissed off. It is not the way it should be. When these people come to us, everything must be clarified. Here they will live while they wait for an answer as to whether they will be granted residence, says Nygård, and adds: – But they have not even been allowed to apply, which is the whole premise of getting asylum. UDI: High arrivals the reason In 2022 and in 2023 there were very many asylum seekers who came to Norway. That is the reason for the doubling of the waiting time for an asylum interview, says Wenche Fone, Director of Protection at UDI. In 2023, 5,375 ordinary asylum seekers came to Norway, which is the highest number since 2015, according to UDI. Fone says she understands that the waiting time is tough, but that they are working purposefully to reduce the waiting time. To reduce waiting times, UDI has set up an interview center in Kongsberg, freed up an office for interviews, and that they travel around the country to conduct interviews at reception, says Wenche Fone, director of Protection at UDI. Photo: Dan Robert Larsen / news Dibora and Bifituu fear too long a wait even after the asylum interview. To that the director replies as follows: – We have a goal that after the asylum interview is done, you get an answer to the application quite quickly, says Fone. She adds that this is in those cases where one is confident of the facts in the case. Several parties are critical of the long waiting times for UDI. This is what the party thinks about the long waiting time Higher, immigration policy spokesperson Mari Holm Lønseth “It is important that asylum seekers get a quick clarification when they apply for asylum in Norway, so that those who are refused can return home quickly and those who are granted asylum can start a race to integrate in Norway. It is very serious that this is a problem that started with the change of government. More action is needed from the Minister of Justice in immigration matters. Waiting times must be reduced throughout the country. It is a big burden for the municipalities to have lots of asylum seekers in queues in Norway. I will ask Emilie Mehl to explain this in the Storting at the first opportunity” FRP, Erlend Wiborg, immigration policy spokesman “Many of those who apply for asylum and protection in Norway will be refused because they do not meet the requirements for a residence permit. It is important that these refusals are implemented as quickly as possible, in order to avoid unnecessary expenses and use of resources. At the same time, we must understand that we are now in an extraordinary situation with historically high levels of immigration to Norway, among other things. due to the war in Ukraine. It is then natural that the processing times increase, but it must be a goal to reduce it. FRP has, among other things, proposed to stop the collection of refugees from other places in the world as long as the war in Ukraine lasts. It would help to reduce the processing time. SV, Birgit Oline Kjerstad, immigration policy spokesperson “We are strongly critical of the reception apparatus not being scaled up to get rid of the queue. It is very burdensome for the asylum seekers and those who have to run the reception when the asylum seekers have to wait for a long time. We also believe that it is time for new instructions from the government to UDI to prioritize newcomers instead of digging into old citizenship cases. Transferring the operation of Trandum to the correctional service as planned will also free up staff in the police to carry out asylum interviews. This is a case we should definitely look at and consider following up” Rødt, Tobias Drevland Lund, immigration policy spokesperson “It is unheard of and we cannot accept that! Unfortunately, there is a political unwillingness from the Minister of Justice to do more about this. There are many empty words and promises, but no real action. We are doing what we can to put pressure on the minister and the ministry, and we are not giving up. It is about everyone having the right to have their cases dealt with within a reasonable time, and that it is people’s lives that are on the line. That more is not being done to prioritize this from the government is a shame.” Rødt believes there is a political unwillingness on the part of the Minister of Justice to do something about the case. Mari Holm Lønseth, spokesperson for immigration policy in Høgre, demands more action from Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp). She will ask the minister to explain the waiting times in the Storting and what she wants to do to reduce them. State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness, Even Eriksen, responds to the criticism of the minister as follows: – I understand that it is challenging that someone has to wait a long time for an interview. I know that UDI is working in a targeted manner to reduce the waiting time for applicants, but it is a reality that case processing capacity is under pressure. The Civil Ombudsman assesses investigations The Civil Ombudsman’s job is to control the public administration. They also react to UDI. – A waiting time of two years for an interview is far too long, says civil ombudsman Hanne Harlem. They have so far not examined the waiting times for interviews, but on the other hand, they have several times examined the long processing time for the decision itself. – We have concluded in several cases that the processing times have been very long over a long period of time, and that worries us, says Harlem. The waiting time is very tough and many people become mentally ill, says Sanja Adjulovic, acting general secretary of NOAS. Photo: Kaspara Stoltze / news The Norwegian Organization for Asylum Seekers (NOAS) has been contacted by several asylum seekers who are waiting in line. Several have been waiting for two years. It is challenging for several reasons, explains Sanja Adjulovic, acting general secretary of NOAS. – Being able to tell the story quickly is important. Then you get important details that UDI is concerned with, she says. The long waiting time for unaccompanied minors is particularly critical. Photo: ARNE STUBHAUG / news In Florø, Bifituu sees that other asylum seekers come more quickly for interviews and residence permits. She herself is not allowed to study or work. She has long since finished all Norwegian lessons. Dibora (24 from Ethiopia) has also been waiting for almost two years for the first asylum interview. – I think a lot about what happens in the future. It is not an easy situation, says the 24-year-old.
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Asylum seekers must wait two years to receive an asylum interview – news Vestland
