The government of Norway has announced the end of the automatic granting of asylum to all Ukrainians, the RTE portal writes. Currently, the applications of refugees from the western regions of Ukraine will be considered individually. These are citizens who came from the Lviv, Volyn, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Rivne and Zakarpattia Regions.
The Minister of Justice of Norway, Emilie Enger Mehl, said that the country with a population of 5.6 million people has already accepted about 85,000 Ukrainians since the beginning of the full-scale war. Norway cannot carry a disproportionately large burden compared to other Nordic countries, she explained. Mehl also emphasized that the share of men of military age among asylum seekers is increasing.
Since the beginning of the war, Norway provided asylum to all Ukrainians, but later the conditions for receiving aid began to tighten. In January, the country's authorities decided to withdraw financial support from those refugees who decide to organize their own accommodation without accommodation in reception centers. Also, coverage of the costs of keeping pets for newly arrived Ukrainians was stopped, and it became completely impossible to live with animals in refugee centers.
In addition, citizens of Ukraine between the ages of 19 and 24 now need to have lived in Norway for at least five years to qualify for free dental services. For recipients of one-time assistance, the period of residence has been increased to one year. General benefits have also become more difficult to access, and the monthly benefit for spouses and cohabitants without children has been reduced by NOK 6,000 (about USD 576). These measures are aimed at reducing the number of Ukrainian refugees entering the country and at equalizing the level of support with other Northern European states.
Germany is currently the leader in accepting Ukrainian refugees — about 1.2 million people. In second place is Poland with 957,000 forced migrants.
The conditions of stay of Ukrainian refugees in Europe are getting worse not only in Norway. As of July 1, Poland stopped paying a one-time allowance of PLN 300 (about USD 75) and compensation to homeowners who housed Ukrainians. Hungary has also limited aid, providing it now only to residents of regions directly affected by hostilities.
Despite all that, the European Union extended the special mechanism for accepting refugees from Ukraine until 2026. Ukrainians are guaranteed uniform rights in the EU, including medical and social assistance, access to education and the labor market. According to Eurostat, a total of 4.2 million Ukrainian refugees received temporary protection in the EU by the end of April.
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