Norway will no longer automatically grant asylum to refugees from Western Ukraine

Norway will stop automatically granting asylum to Ukrainian refugees from Western Ukraine.

This was reported by the Norwegian TV channel RTE, citing a statement from the country’s government.

Applications for asylum from Ukrainians from the Lviv, Volyn, Ternopil, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Zakarpattia regions will be considered on an individual basis, as these regions are considered safe.

During the war, Norway, with a population of 5.6 million, has accepted 85,000 Ukrainians. The country’s Minister of Justice, Enger Mel, stated that Norway “cannot take a disproportionately large share of displaced persons compared to similar countries,” as refugees in some cities are putting a strain on housing, healthcare, and schools.

Mel also noted that a “growing proportion” of Ukrainian asylum seekers are “men, many of whom are of conscription age,” while Ukraine is in need of soldiers.

Over the past two years, Norway has gradually tightened conditions for granting asylum in an attempt to limit the number of arrivals and encourage Ukrainians to seek employment.

Last winter, the media reported on the Norwegian government’s intentions to introduce new restrictions for Ukrainian refugees.