260 children can be moved out of asylum housing

Considering Nordic care center in AfghanistanThe Minister of Immigration and Integration Sylvi Listhaug. Photo flickr.com

Having garnered harsh criticism that unaccompanied asylum children have put their lives on hold in  asylum centers, the government will let children  who has been  granted temporarily stay in the country.

The background:

Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) is concerned about the large number of unaccompanied minors who have been too long in Norwegian asylum centres.

In November, they wrote a sharp letter to immigration and integration minister Sylvi Listhaug, where they asked the government to reconsider the clause that children with limited stay in Norway not to be settled in a foster home or a municipality.

The government will now change the clauses. This means that more than 260 children who now live on Norwegian asylum centers and care centers, can be settled in a foster home or in a municipality. 128 of them are under 15 years.

– This applies to children who have received temporary residence permits pending to document their identity, and we know that most of this group will be in Norway for good.

When they in all likeliness will remain in this country for many years, we believe it is right that they get a resident and get started with the integration, said Undersecretary Torkil Åmland to VG, and specifies that the 260 can be resettled after the first renewal is provided.

It was ABC News who first reported that the government agree to this settlement.

 

Source: VG / Norway Today