Government split over
tighter asylum policy
Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg (Labour Party
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg has announced a new, tighter immigration policy, saying it is necessary to take measures to decrease the numbers of asylum seekers without a need for protection. Coalition partner Socialist Left Party (SV) dissents.
SV leader and Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen said her party could not go along with several points of the new measures agreed upon by Labour and the third coalition partner, the Agrarians (SP).
Halvorsen said her party would exercise its right to dissension when the new regulations were put to a vote.
The main point of dissent was the new demand that persons who have been granted residency on humanitarian grounds must have four years of education or work experience in Norway to be granted family reunification with existing or new family members.
Halvorsen says the main reason for the split is SV's wish for an asylum policy which to a higher degree follows the reccomendations from the UN High Comissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Although opposition Progres Party and the Conservatives are also critical to the new measures, saying they are "too little, too late", it is clear that they will vote in favour of the tighter policy, granting a majority.
Save the Children Norway and the Norwegian Refugee Council are also critical to the new measures, saying refugee children will be the victims of the new, tighter policy.
Norway has, next to the Netherlands, experienced the largest increase in the arrivals of asylum seekers in Europe in 2008. So far this year more than twice as many asylum seekers has arrived compared to the same period of last year. 60 per cent of the applications for asylum are rejected. In 2007 Norway received 6 500 asylum seekers and this year around 15,000 arrivals are expected. The government says the main reason for the increase are developments in the home countries of the asylum seekers. How the Norwegian asylum policy is perceived, especially in comparison with comparable countries like Sweden, may also explain the distribution of asylum seekers to various European countries.
The Government says it is concerned with protecting the right of asylum for refugees, and with the rapid inclusion of those granted protection into the Norwegian society. – It is therefore necessary to take measures to decrease the number of arriving asylum seekers who do not meet the conditions for protection, says Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion Dag Terje Andersen.
Before the summer the Government announced several measures to reduce the number of asylum seekers arriving in Norway. Among other measures, the subsistence requirement was restricted and the Dublin II Regulation was applied more widely. This regulation puts the responsibility for the asylum application in the state where the applicant first applied for asylum, unless the applicant has family members residing legally in another state.
The Government is now proposing additional measures to reduce the number of arrivals, including:
- It will assess the question of humanitarian grounds, each case shall be examined individually, and not undergo a general group assessment based on the particular geographical area.
- The Government will intensify efforts to negotiate readmission agreements with the main countries of origin for persons who are in Norway illegally.
- Fingerprints shall be taken of all applicants who cannot document their identity or are suspected of having a false identity.
SV leader and Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen said her party could not go along with several points of the new measures agreed upon by Labour and the third coalition partner, the Agrarians (SP).
Halvorsen said her party would exercise its right to dissension when the new regulations were put to a vote.
The main point of dissent was the new demand that persons who have been granted residency on humanitarian grounds must have four years of education or work experience in Norway to be granted family reunification with existing or new family members.
Halvorsen says the main reason for the split is SV's wish for an asylum policy which to a higher degree follows the reccomendations from the UN High Comissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Although opposition Progres Party and the Conservatives are also critical to the new measures, saying they are "too little, too late", it is clear that they will vote in favour of the tighter policy, granting a majority.
Save the Children Norway and the Norwegian Refugee Council are also critical to the new measures, saying refugee children will be the victims of the new, tighter policy.
Norway has, next to the Netherlands, experienced the largest increase in the arrivals of asylum seekers in Europe in 2008. So far this year more than twice as many asylum seekers has arrived compared to the same period of last year. 60 per cent of the applications for asylum are rejected. In 2007 Norway received 6 500 asylum seekers and this year around 15,000 arrivals are expected. The government says the main reason for the increase are developments in the home countries of the asylum seekers. How the Norwegian asylum policy is perceived, especially in comparison with comparable countries like Sweden, may also explain the distribution of asylum seekers to various European countries.
The Government says it is concerned with protecting the right of asylum for refugees, and with the rapid inclusion of those granted protection into the Norwegian society. – It is therefore necessary to take measures to decrease the number of arriving asylum seekers who do not meet the conditions for protection, says Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion Dag Terje Andersen.
Before the summer the Government announced several measures to reduce the number of asylum seekers arriving in Norway. Among other measures, the subsistence requirement was restricted and the Dublin II Regulation was applied more widely. This regulation puts the responsibility for the asylum application in the state where the applicant first applied for asylum, unless the applicant has family members residing legally in another state.
The Government is now proposing additional measures to reduce the number of arrivals, including:
- It will assess the question of humanitarian grounds, each case shall be examined individually, and not undergo a general group assessment based on the particular geographical area.
- The Government will intensify efforts to negotiate readmission agreements with the main countries of origin for persons who are in Norway illegally.
- Fingerprints shall be taken of all applicants who cannot document their identity or are suspected of having a false identity.
(NRK/Press release)
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