Summary of the case A refugee reception center in Oslo has received strong criticism from the UDI for poor conditions. This includes little and bad food, which made refugees sick, and a lack of overview of the inhabitants. UDI nevertheless gave the reception a new and longer contract to house refugees. But after news made contact, UDI has distanced itself from the reception and terminated the recent agreement. The reception could have been a goldmine for the owners – the agreement had a potential value of several hundred million kroner. UDI is now demanding back millions of kroner for what they call “failure of the agreement”, and is suing the company behind the reception. Super Stay does not want to comment on the claims from UDI, but disagrees with their demand. UDI does not want to be interviewed, but points out that in the autumn they had an urgent need for reception places. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. People cried and raged, many lost weight, they didn’t eat. Someone threw up. The descriptions are about refugees placed in a hotel on Tøyen in Oslo. Most of them came from Ukraine. A hotel converted into a reception. But it wasn’t just the food that was the problem. Those who ran the reception did not know who the people were. The refugees did not receive the money they were entitled to. Many stayed there much longer than they needed, because the reception did not provide them with transport to their new homes. All this, UDI believes, has happened. Nevertheless, they gave the reception a new and longer contract to house refugees. Only when news made contact did something happen. The hotel that became a refugee reception The hotel Super Stay on Tøyen in Oslo was converted into emergency accommodation for refugees in April 2022. At this time, the war in Ukraine brings hundreds of Ukrainians to Norway every day. For the owners of Super Stay AS, this will be an opportunity to earn good money. You can read what Super Stay thinks about the allegations further down in the case. Two months after the war starts, their reception takes in the first refugees on behalf of UDI. For this, Super Stay will receive NOK 92 million over the next nine months. But it doesn’t take long before the first reports of concern about the reception arrive. In a letter that UDI has written itself, they describe how they think it was there. They have spoken to both people who lived there and people who worked there. UDI began to take a closer look at the operation of the reception after several reports of concern were received. Photo: Nadir Alam / news Too little and bad food Many were particularly concerned about the food they were served. One of the people who lived there told UDI that it was not possible to eat the food. “Someone threw up and had stomach problems. We had to buy the food ourselves several times”. The food was not suitable for the sick, the elderly, allergy sufferers and children, according to the UDI. This led to several people getting diarrhea and allergic reactions and stopped eating the food. “A child with great care needs stayed in the room and did not come to eat. I do not think that the child was evaluated by the doctor,” says the letter from UDI. It is a former employee who has said this. Conflict over several tens of millions For the food that was served, the reception received over NOK 24 million. But when UDI discovers how bad the food is, they want their money back. They believe, among other things, that the food is so simple that he broke the agreement. They therefore demand to recover NOK 8.6 million. At the same time, the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority supervises the reception. Among other things, they look at the working hours of the employees and notify compulsory fines for lack of a security agent. This is far from the only mistake the reception has made, UDI believes: Refugees did not receive money they were entitled to All refugees are entitled to a fixed amount per month for their own expenses. It is the reception that will distribute the money. At Super Stay, several refugees are said not to have received money. Others should not have received help to pay invoices that had gone to debt collection. Refugees were incorrectly registered There were several cases where refugees were incorrectly registered at the reception. Among other things, one person was registered at the reception for more than two months after he was settled in a municipality. Did not have an overview of where the refugees were Super Stay should not have had a full overview of the refugees at the reception. According to the UDI, Super Stay must have overlooked that people left the reception for several days or weeks. Nor should they have notified UDI when persons were absent for more than three days. Spent too long settling refugees Both UDI and several districts in Oslo believe that the reception was not very accessible in the work of settling refugees. Several refugees who had been given a place to live stayed at the reception for extra weeks and months. The reason was that the reception had not fixed transport. Alleged to have used fake and illegal employment contracts According to UDI, they must have been notified that some of the employment contracts at the reception were fake. One employee is also said to have been given a shorter notice period than is legal. In addition, UDI wants NOK 9 million back for what they call “failure of the agreement”. They also withheld NOK 13 million, which the reception should actually have had. This means that this summer Super Stay is threatening to sue the UDI. UDI was aware of the error, but gave a new contract. Nevertheless, the next few years were likely to be lucrative for the owners of the reception. In October this year, UDI announced that they had entered into 33 new framework agreements on emergency accommodation for refugees. Super Stay was among them. They got an agreement potentially worth several hundred million kroner. Even if UDI thought it went badly the last time they accepted refugees at the reception. Fair Play Bygg Oslo and Omegn, which works to uncover workplace crime, also announced Super Stay. Finally, report to, among others, the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority and the Ministry of Justice. – We notified several agencies about the relationship and the owners. So it was surprising that they then got a new and longer agreement from UDI. That’s what the daily manager, Lars Mamen, says. Day-to-day manager of Fair Play Bygg, Lars Mamen, notified Super Stay to, among others, the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority. Photo: Nadir Alam / news But then news contacted… Two days after the agreement became known, I at news contacted UDI. We wanted to know why Super Stay had been given a new agreement. I asked the UDI still for an interview. They only respond to e-mails. After that, UDI has been busy distancing itself from the reception. Well, a week later, the matter takes a new turn. UDI terminates the recent agreement with Super Stay. At the same time, they are suing the owners. So why did they give Super Stay a new deal at all? The explanation I have received is that the need for places to accept refugees was urgent: When the UDI awarded a framework agreement for emergency accommodation to Super Stay in October 2023, even though we were then aware of a breach of the previous contract, it has a background in the urgent need which was to increase our capacity to accept refugees as a result of the refugee crisis in Ukraine, and that we were in an investigation phase of the default. After the e-mail, I have again asked if UDI can arrange an interview. Four weeks after the first time I asked for an interview, they finally refused. They say they don’t want to talk to us because it’s an ongoing case. Day-to-day manager of Super Stay, Guru Karam Vir Singh Randhawa has confirmed through lawyer Helge Skogset Berg that UDI has sued them. In an e-mail, Berg says that they disagree with the demand from UDI. The state has now taken legal action to clarify the financial situation, where UDI’s central demand is a price reduction. Super Stay AS does not agree that there is a basis for the claim and will counter this accordingly. Super Stay’s lawyer has been presented with all the claims that UDI makes. But they do not want to comment on the case, since she will appear in court. These are the important datesUDI and Super Stay enter into a new framework agreement which can last up to five years. This is despite the fact that they are in conflict over the previous agreement. Weeks later, UDI terminates the contract and approves Super Stay. The case will now go to court. The first agreement between UDI and Super Stay will be signed. The agreement comes into force on 7 April, and lasts until 7 January 2023. The first refugees arrive days after the agreement has been signed. A total of 718 refugees are at the reception. During the spring of 2022, UDI receives a number of reports of concern and complaints about the food at Super Stay. On 14 June, UDI is checking the reception. The last refugees leave Super Stay on 7 January. For the nine months, Super Stay is paid NOK 92 million. UDI sends a letter of complaint to Super Stay where they demand back NOK 17.2 million. In the document, the UDI lists 11 points with deficiencies and errors which should show that the contract has been broken. As a result of the breach of the contract, the UDI is retaining NOK 13 million that should have been paid to Super Stay during January 2023. In June, Super Stay announces a lawsuit to get the money. Although the conflict over the previous agreement has not yet been resolved, UDI and Super Stay sign a new framework agreement on emergency accommodation. The agreement can last up to five years, and is potentially worth several hundred million kroner. 24. In October, UDI will issue a press release announcing new agreements for the operation of emergency accommodation. Among the suppliers is Super Stay AS. Two days after the press release, news contacts UDI and asks for an interview about the new agreement between UDI and Super Stay. UDI replies that they have to wait a week before they can reply. A week and a half after the inquiry, the UDI responds. They say that a number of legal issues have arisen and news will have to wait a few more days for an answer. Two weeks after the request for an interview, the UDI comes with a written answer to the first questions. They also say that the agreement with Super Stay was broken on 8 November, and that they sued the company on the same day. Again, UDI says that they need several days to answer the remaining questions, and more time before they can possibly ask for an interview. Even if the contract was terminated by UDI, it lasts until March 2024. That’s what Super Stay’s lawyer writes. Show more Super Stay AS made a loss of NOK 700,000 in 2021. The following year, when they ran reception for UDI, the company generated NOK 46 million before tax. Now Super Stay is a hotel again. What will be the end of the conflict is now up to the legal system to decide. Hi! Do you have thoughts on the matter, or do you have a tip to offer? Feel free to send us an email.
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UDI slaughtered the conditions at the refugee reception on Tøyen – nevertheless gave a new contract – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
