– It is the children who are punished the most – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio

– This can not be more wrong. It will almost be an abuse of these children, with consequences that they will probably carry with them for a long time, says Dag Inge Ulstein (KrF). He reacts to the case of the mother of four Yasmin Kristensen, who is to be deported after 21 years in Norway, because she lied about the country of origin when she came here as an 18-year-old. Her case was recently dismissed by the European Court of Human Rights. That was the last resort. Ulstein, who is a member of the Storting’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, believes it is entirely possible to punish without taking the mother from the children. Dag Inge Ulstein believes that it is a child who is punished most severely when their caregiver is sent out of the country. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen – It is simply a shame that the authorities send mothers away from their children in this way. The legislation cannot be so rigid that children should be so brutally deprived of their mother. He believes that it is now the children who are punished the most when they lose both security and their closest caregiver. Rolf-Erik and Yasmin have four children together. They have lived in Lyngdal all their lives, and do not want to go to Africa. Photo: Siv Kristin Sællmann / news The Children’s Ombudsman concerned Child Adviser Anne-Stine Solberg says that a strict practice has emerged where “unusually large burdens” are required on the child, before the best interests of the child take precedence over immigration regulatory considerations. – The children’s ombudsman is concerned about this development, she says. But she says that there has recently been a change in the rules on deportation. – The change in the law can contribute to the consideration for the child being given greater weight, and that other reactions than deportation are chosen to a greater extent, says Solberg. According to her, deportation cases often take place over many years and can leave their mark on an entire upbringing. The Ombudsman for Children will not comment on individual cases, but says that the best interests of the child should be a fundamental consideration in all cases that affect children. The Ombudsman for Children believes that deportation cases can leave their mark on an entire upbringing. Photo: Mats Bakken / www.matsbakken.com Several cases that end in non-deportation State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice Astrid Bergmål says that when someone breaks the Immigration Act, for example by staying here illegally or giving a false identity, it is serious. It should normally be able to lead to deportation. She points out that consideration for the best interests of the child must be assessed against other considerations by the immigration authorities. – In the years 2019 to 2021, there were more cases where children were affected that ended with non-deportation than with deportation, says Bergmål. Several hours of free legal aid There was a recent change in the law that provides more hours of free legal aid in deportation cases that affect children. Minister of Justice and Emergency Management Emilie Enger Mehl says in a press release that she is happy that they have put in place a sharp increase in the number of hours of free legal advice in these cases. – We now ensure that the lawyer can take care of the interests of each individual child who risks one of the parents being deported in the best possible way, says Enger Mehl. Astrid Bergmål, State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, says that in recent years there have been several cases where children were affected that ended in non-deportation than in deportation. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB



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