The Norwegian government plans to extend the current collective protection for refugees from Ukraine from three to five years. The plan will allow more time for both Norwegian authorities and Ukrainian refugees themselves to decide on their future.
“The situation in Ukraine is still unclear,” said Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl. She noted that the current terms of collective protection granted solely to the Ukraininan refugees, who began arriving in Norway after Russia’s full-scale invastion of their homeland in the spring of 2022, will already expire next March.
“The government and the Parliament will have more time and more alternatives if the temporary collective protection is extended from three to five years,” Mehl said. She added that the extension will also “give us flexibility to make the best decisions,” also with regard to refugee processes offered by other European countries.
The numbers of Ukrainian refugees arriving in Norway have, meanwhile, fallen dramatically since New Year. The decline is tied to a reduction in refugee benefits offered to Ukrainians, which are now more in line with those offered by other Nordic countries. Less than 1,400 Ukrainians sought protection in Norway in both February in March, compared to as many as 4,500 arriving on a monthly basis last fall.
NewsinEnglish.no staff
