Asylum lawyers are reacting strongly to the treatment of Ukrainian refugees who are now being asked to leave Norway.
The reason is that only those who were in Ukraine when Russia invaded the country on 24 February 2022 are entitled to collective protection. This is causing despair and fear among those who arrived in Norway after this date, writes NRK.
A woman in Bergen, who was in Poland on a work visa when the invasion started, and later travelled to Norway with her daughter, has had her application for residence rejected. The daughter is allowed to stay, while the mother must return to her hometown of Nikopol, an area that is still subject to frequent drone attacks, according to the state channel.
The Directorate of Immigration (UDI) emphasises that it is the politicians who set the criteria for who is granted residence, and that they make thorough assessments of the security situation based on several sources. The Ministry of Justice and Public Security emphasises the need for a clear definition of who is entitled to collective protection.
Ukrainian refugees who have been granted residence in Norway have certain rights. According to the UNHCR, they have the right to healthcare, the right to work, and their children have the right to schooling and kindergarten. They can also receive help to settle in a municipality.
In terms of financial support, many Ukrainian refugees participate in the introduction programme and receive an introduction benefit from the municipality where they are settled. According to Visit Ukraine, they may also be entitled to various forms of financial support from the state, but this may depend on their status and participation in the introduction programme.
It is important to note that the regulations around financial support can be complex and vary, so some receive large sums from the Norwegian state. However, after one year, all Ukrainians are entitled to a lump sum from the state of approximately NOK 93,000. In 2024, every Ukrainian received this amount immediately, in addition to more than NOK 20,000 a month, but that amount has been reduced slightly now, due to the miserable municipal finances around Norway.
For children there are separate rates, which until this year have been sky-high, but they are supposed to be reduced by NOK 6,000 now.
Asylum lawyer Hånes believes that there are illogical criteria for who gets to stay and who has to go home, and that families are being split up in an unfair way.