Every second asylum child given temporary stay permit

refugeesRefugees. Photo:Pixabay.

Nearly half of unaccompanied, asylum seeking ‘minors’ who received an answer this year, got a temporary stay permit, thus must leave when they reach the age of 18.

As of June the 1st, 698 people in this category received an answer. For 331 of them, representing 47%, that answer was that they may stay in Norway until they reach 18, but after that they have to leave, reported VG newspaper.

Last year, 14% of unaccompanied children received temporary residency permit, while the figure was only 1.3% the year before.


‘There’s been a clear increase in the proportion of time-limited permits given out,’ said Hanne Merete Jendal, Director of the Norwegian Immigration Service (UDI).

After the percentage of fixed-term stays increased last autumn, UDI registered a deterioration in the situation of unaccompanied minors in Norwegian immigrant reception centres. There were reports of suicide attempts, anxiety, school truancy, and feelings of turmoil.


The Arbeiderpartiet’s (Labour Party – Ap) national convention attempted to limit the tempo of such temprary stay awards being handed out. The party can’t, however, promise that the bulk of such decisions will be canceled if Ap comes to power.


‘What the National Convention said was related to the regulatory framework, but that it is about how we interpret the rules. It’s not possible for me to say if the percentage is going to go up or down, because it’s about who is legally entitled to stay,’ said immigration policy spokesperson for Ap, Stein Erik Lauvås.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today