The war in Ukraine rages on. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees have found their way to Norway: this week alone, the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration has received 744 applications for collective protection. But now the government is tightening its grip. Throughout the Advent period, Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) has taken a number of measures in the hope of slowing down the number of arrivals: on 7 December she presented new requirements for accommodation, cuts in child benefit and cuts in access to return journeys. The latter was specified in an instruction on 12 December: Ukrainians who travel to their home country may lose their residence permit in Norway. On 20 December, instructions came that Ukrainians who also have citizenship in a safe country will not receive temporary collective protection in Norway. And on December 21, Mehl proposed to change the Immigration Act. Persons with temporary collective protection may have to wait up to five years before they can obtain a permit that forms the basis for permanent residence in Norway. Today, the limit is three years. The background for Mehl’s action is high arrival numbers and questions about whether Norway has too generous arrangements in relation to neighboring countries. So far, 70,000 Ukrainians have come to Norway. Risk of going home In recent days, news has told about Ukrainians who are preparing to celebrate Christmas in Norway. And there may be good reasons to do so, according to the government. They have proposed that the residence permit in this country should hang in the balance for those who travel home without having a “legitimate reason”. Today, the rule is that foreigners who have been granted protection in Norway can lose their residence permit if they travel back to the country they have fled from. Up until now, the Ukrainians have had exceptions to this requirement, but that has now come to an end. – I now want to treat Ukrainians and other nationalities equally when it comes to the consequences of such trips, says Mehl. What constitutes a “legitimate reason” for returning home is decided by UDI, according to State Secretary Even Eriksen (Ap) in the Ministry of Justice. – But as a general rule, I can probably claim that holiday trips to a country from which you have applied for protection are basically not legitimate, he says to news. When asked how the UDI will follow up the instructions, the answer is that the agency is working to put routines and guidelines in place. UDI refers to this message on its website: – You can no longer travel back and forth between Ukraine and Norway if you have received collective protection, without this having consequences for your residence permit, it says. – It applies from and including 12 December 2023. You can return to Ukraine if you have a legitimate purpose for the trip, but there are very few purposes that will be accepted. WAR: Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) greets Ukrainian refugees earlier this autumn. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB Increased temporary status On 21 December, the proposal was made to let the Ukrainians wait for five years to find out whether they will be granted permanent residence in Norway. Permits under the temporary collective protection scheme are granted for one year at a time and can today be extended for up to three years. – Won’t increased temporariness make integration more difficult? – You can say that, but now the whole purpose behind a temporary collective protection is that it should be temporary. That is what we have stated all along, that the moment the war in Ukraine is finished and won, the aim is for the Ukrainians to return home, says Eriksen. This week, the government also proposed that Ukrainians who have citizenship in a safe country should not receive temporary collective protection in Norway. – We have recently seen that Ukrainians with citizenship in the USA, Sweden, Hungary or Romania have applied for protection in Norway. The government believes it is more important and more correct to prioritize protection for Ukrainians who do not have such a safe haven, says Eriksen. Little resistance Most of the changes are made by changing regulations. This means that the government does not need to go through the Storting to change course. But the proposal to amend the Immigration Act, in order to provide for increased temporary status, must go to the Storting. The proposal has been submitted for consultation, with a deadline of 15 February. In the Storting, there will probably be enough parties ready to give the Ap/Sp government a majority. AT THE BREAKING POINT: Right-wing Mari Holm Lønseth. Photo: Javad Parsa / NTB – The proposals have been sent for consultation, and we will go into this thoroughly when the proposal comes to the Storting. But we are basically positive about this, which also appears to be a coordination with other countries, says Mari Holm Lønseth (H) to news. – We will continue to stand up for Ukraine, including accepting refugees to Norway. But many municipalities are now completely at breaking point and have a lack of capacity. It would be good if there was a more equal distribution between countries in the Nordics. Liberals are generally skeptical of the government’s austerity measures and fear they may hinder integration. Rødt’s Tobias Drevland Lund says it may be necessary to change the law to adapt to an ongoing war. But it is difficult to conclude while the hostilities are ongoing, he believes: – We will not conclude whether this is a change we support, until we get more information about the potential consequences and look forward to reading the consultation input that comes in. State Secretary Eriksen says Norwegian municipalities have done a great job of accepting Ukrainians: – But in order for us to be able to make a successful offer to those who come here, the immigration policy and the number of arrivals must be sustainable.
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Strongly tightens – Christmas holidays in Ukraine can lead to refusal of residence – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
