– We have probably been surprised by how much expenditure is incurred here, says head of Nav Asker Jan Kåre Melsæther. Jan Kåre Melsæther, leader Nav Asker Photo: Trond Lydersen / news Asker municipality in Akershus settled 340 Ukrainian refugees last year and will settle 355 this year. Melsæther scrolls down the computer screen showing payments to Ukrainian refugees last year. – This is a person who does not participate in the introductory programme. Then he has received NOK 283,000 in social assistance, says Melsæther. In addition, housing allowance is paid for the whole year. For someone who lives alone in Asker, it could be almost NOK 50,000. With two children up to NOK 70,000. Any child benefit is added. – How much did you have to earn in salary to be left with a similar amount after tax? – In the amounts we have seen examples of now, you probably need well over 500,000 in annual salary, says Melsæther. 100,000 by the new year The Directorate of Immigration (UDI) and director Frode Forfang keep daily statistics on Ukrainians applying for protection in Norway. After low numbers before the New Year, the trend has been rising in recent days. – How many Ukrainians have come to Norway by the end of this year? Frode Forfang, director UDI Photo: Trond Lydersen / news – Now there have been more than 70,000 so far. Our forecast, with all possible caveats that it is very uncertain, is that there will be 30,000 in 2024. We will then be at around 100,000 at the end of this year. Forfang says there are many things that can affect the number of arrivals, including if the Norwegian authorities introduce tightening measures. And the government has announced some austerity measures. – How do Norwegian support schemes differ? – Where we differ most from other European countries is what relates to the entire integration scheme they receive in Norway after they are settled in a Norwegian municipality. – Are you then talking about the 237,000 kroner in annual introduction support? – Yes, that is part of it. You get housing and you get a number of things related to living in a municipality, says Forfang. – The principle in Norway is that Ukrainian refugees should receive an integration course similar to what other refugees receive, continues the UDI chief. Not getting more than others Ukrainian refugees have created pressure on the welfare services in the municipalities. In Asker municipality, the payments weigh on the municipal budget, which is now being put together. In addition, there is a burden on the services in the municipality. Not least because many who come now have war injuries and trauma. But they do not get more support than others, according to Nav leader Melsæther. – It is not a higher amount than what other recipients of social assistance receive. No distinction is made between nationality or where you are a refugee from. We base ourselves on the state’s indicative rates and make individual assessments. But these are high amounts over time. That’s it, says Melsæther. Many Ukrainians attend introductory programs. They get NOK 237,000 for that. In addition, they often receive supplementary social benefits. Came to stay Few Ukrainians lived in Norway before the war. At the start of the war, the majority chose to go to the other Nordic countries, but now the majority chooses to come to Norway. And Forfang believes many of those who have come intend to stay. – Coming to Norway is probably to a greater extent a very clear choice for the future than traveling to countries like Poland or the Czech Republic. – Does that mean in practice that a fairly large proportion of the 100,000 Ukrainians we can see here at the end of the year might intend to stay? – We have every reason to believe that many of the Ukrainians who have come to Norway have a desire to stay, says Forfang. – Very many come to Norway, very few to Sweden, Denmark and Finland. Why? – Norway received very few Ukrainians at the start of the war. That has changed. Especially from the summer of 2023. But overall, Norway has received 28 percent of the Ukrainian refugees who have come to the Nordic countries. He believes that Norway has thus not accepted a disproportionately large proportion of the Ukrainian refugees so far. Know where they come from – We have an overview of where everyone comes from. They will be registered with their residential address in Ukraine when they arrive in Norway. – And it is reliable information? – Yes, it is information that they provide themselves, but we have reason to believe that it is essentially reliable information, says UDI director Frode Forfang. As long as it does not play any role in being granted residence in Norway, the head of the UDI simply sees no reason why Ukrainians should give the wrong home address. – Where do most people come from? – So far we see that a clear majority of those who have arrived come from the eastern or south-eastern parts of Ukraine. The parts that have been most affected by the conflict, says Forfang. However, they still do not have exact figures on the number of registered residences in Ukraine.
ttn-69
– Must earn well over 500,000 in annual salary – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
