Norwegian government considers tightening immigration policies for Ukrainian refugees following war influx

The Norwegian government is considering tightening immigration policies for Ukrainian refugees following the significant influx since the outbreak of war in February 2022. Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl highlighted that Norway now hosts over 80,000 Ukrainians, exceeding the entire population of Finnmark. Measures will be implemented to ensure that aid reaches those in most need.

As a part of these changes, the government has ended the collective protection status originally granted to all Ukrainians and shifted to an individual application process. This means those who do not meet the criteria for protection must leave the country, which affects individuals with dual citizenship or those who resided in another country before arriving in Norway. The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) expanded the list of regions deemed safe, including areas in western Ukraine such as Lviv and Ternopil, despite the overall instability in the country.

UDI justifies this designation based on the level of control by Ukrainian authorities and the low occurrence of security incidents in these areas. However, Ukrainians from other regions still retain the right to collective protection, although future renewals of this status remain uncertain.

Mehl emphasized that Norway must control the number of refugees, as municipalities feel overwhelmed by the ongoing influx. The government has reduced the quota for resettled refugees from 3,000 to 1,000 and imposed stricter rules on benefits and family immigration, while also implementing a ban on cousin marriages. As debates about the capacity for resettling refugees continue, skepticism remains regarding the idea of “safe areas” in Ukraine, especially given the unpredictable nature of the conflict.