On January 13, the Norwegian government recognized a number of other regions of Ukraine as safe. Therefore, people living there will no longer be able to receive collective protection in Norway. This was reported by the Norwegian Directorate for Foreigners (UDI), UNN reports.
Details
From now on, Norway considers Cherkasy, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytsky, Kirovohrad, Kyiv (region, not city), Lviv, Poltava, Rivne, Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Volyn, Zakarpattia, and Zhytomyr regions safe.
If a person applying for protection in Norway has lived in a "safe" area, the application will be considered on an individual basis. The criteria for individual protection in Norway are much stricter than for collective protection,
It will also take into account whether the Ukrainian authorities can provide protection to the person. The Norwegian authorities will determine whether there are areas in Ukraine that are considered safe and suitable for a person to stay, regardless of whether the person has previously lived in those areas.
It is noted that the change applies only to those who have applied for protection since September 28, 2024 and have not received a response to their application by January 13. It also applies to those who apply for protection after January 13, 2025.
Recall
Ukrainian Defense Minister Umerov met with his Norwegian counterpart Gram. Norway will provide Ukraine with military aid worth more than €2 billion in 2025, the largest in the country's history.