670 Storskog-asylum seekers deported

Sylvi ListhaugImmigration and Integration Minister Sylvi Listhaug and police chief Hans Møllebakken at Storskog border station on the border between Norway and Russia.Photo: Krister Sørbø / NTB scanpix

Over 2,031 of the nearly 5,500 asylum seekers who came across Storskog-border last year, have been rejected by the UDI. But only 670 so far deported.

According to most recent figures from the Police Immigration Service (PU).
The Directorate of Immigration (UDI) had in late June treated more than 4,300 of Storskog-applications. Of them 2031 got rejected, and of these 670 are deported.

The figures also show that 1,352 of Storskog-asylum seekers have disappeared from receptions.

– Some of those who have been rejected, come from countries that are difficult to be returned to. But I want as many deported as possible, it is important for the confidence in the asylum system, said Immigration and Integration Minister Sylvi Listhaug (FRP).

Listhaug visited Tuesday the little Norwegian-Russian border crossing in Sør-Varanger in Finnmark which last fall suddenly found itself in the middle of the action.

In a few months approximately 5,500 asylum seekers came cycling over the Storskog border.
Listhaug says Norway does not have any guarantees that a similar situation will not occur again.

– As the situation is now, we have control. It is important that we constantly work well with Russian authorities at the local level and have a good cooperation, but we have no guarantees, she emphasizes.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today