Norway will no longer automatically grant asylum to all Ukrainians, and applications from those arriving from western Ukraine will be considered individually, the country's Ministry of Justice said on Friday, UNN reports.
Details
The Norwegian Ministry of Justice notes that in two and a half years, the vast majority of people who came from Ukraine have received temporary collective protection in Norway, and the authorities did not consider each application individually.
"As of today, people coming to Norway from areas of Ukraine that the UDI (Directorate for Foreigners) considers safe will be treated in accordance with the usual asylum rules. Today, these are six areas," the statement said.
"Ukrainians from these territories will not automatically receive protection in Norway, they will receive a specific and individualized assessment of their need for protection. Ukrainians from the territories that UDI considers safe will be able to be denied asylum," the Norwegian Ministry of Justice said.
According to ABC Nyheter, the government changes will affect six regions: Lviv, Volyn, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, and Rivne.
"Immigration to Norway must be controlled and sustainable, not disproportionately higher than in countries with which we naturally compare ourselves, such as the Nordic countries. The government is therefore taking new austerity measures. From now on, asylum seekers from Ukraine are treated more equally as other asylum seekers. The collective protection system is now more focused on those in need of protection," said Emilie Mel, Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness of Norway.
Norway has reportedly hosted more Ukrainians than other Nordic countries, with 85,000 Ukrainians having been accepted by Norway over the past two and a half years.
For reference
Collective protection in Norway means that there is no need to prove the need for protection on an individual basis, as in the case of ordinary refugee status, and the Directorate for Foreigners (UDI) provides protection to all Ukrainians who have fled war, as well as their family members.