Norway will not grant asylum to refugees from six regions of Ukraine

Norway will no longer provide protection to refugees from the western regions of Ukraine.

According to the Norwegian government's press service, Lviv, Volyn, Ternopil, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Zakarpattia regions are considered safe and located far from the front line.

"Ukrainians from these territories will not automatically receive protection in Norway, but they will receive a specific and individualized assessment of their need for protection. Ukrainians from the territories deemed safe by UDI will be able to be denied asylum," the statement said.

The government noted that the new changes do not apply to those Ukrainians who have already received protection in Norway and their close relatives. It also does not apply to patients who were evacuated from Ukraine to Norway and their relatives.

According to the Norwegian government, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the country has received about 85 thousand Ukrainians. Norway has repeatedly increased the level of benefits and housing for refugees from Ukraine.

"Immigration to Norway should be controlled and sustainable, and not disproportionately higher than in countries with which we naturally compare ourselves, such as the Scandinavian countries. That is why the government is taking new austerity measures," said Norwegian Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mel.

Meanwhile, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Ukraine has repaired a school in Bilozirka, Mykolaiv region.The village of Bilozirka was outside the control of the Ukrainian government for a week and a half in March 2022 and remained on the front line for eight months. As of the summer of 2024, the villagers are still rebuilding their community and replacing household items destroyed or lost during the fighting.

After a visit to the village and meetings with the local administration, NRC decided to help with the community's recovery.