In Norway, automatic asylum will no longer be provided to Ukrainian refugees from western regions

In Norway, automatic asylum will no longer be provided to Ukrainian refugees from western regions

Norway will no longer automatically provide asylum to Ukrainian refugees from Western Ukraine, the government announced.

Applications from citizens of Lviv, Volyn, Ternopil, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Zakarpattia regions will be considered individually, as these regions are recognized as safe, reports RTE.

Since the start of the war, Norway, with a population of 5.6 million people, has accepted 85 thousand Ukrainians. The country’s Minister of Justice noted that Norway "cannot accept a disproportionately large share of displaced persons compared to other countries," as refugees create a burden on housing, healthcare, and schools in several cities.

Additionally, Enger Mèhl indicated that a "growing share" of Ukrainian asylum seekers are "men, many of whom are of conscription age," while Ukraine is in need of soldiers.

In the past two years, Norway has gradually tightened asylum conditions, aiming to limit the number of arrivals and motivate Ukrainians to seek work.