Sylvi Listhaug, the Minister for Immigration in the Fremskrittsparti (Frp), announced a complete reorganisation of asylum treatment in Norway.
The Arbeiderpartiet questioned the legality of the new system according to Aftenposten newspaper, all asylum seekers are to be gathered at an ‘Arrival Centre’, said Listhaug.
Eight out of ten will have their asylum applications settled while they are staying at the center.
The goal is that all asylum seekers coming to Norway will be gathered in the old Smart Club building on the E6 at Råde in Østfold. The building was used as an arrival centre during the refugee crisis in 2015.
Here, eight out of ten asylum applications will be processed within three weeks while asylum seekers live there. The estimate of the processing time is based on what the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) believes is possible to obtain.
Great winnings
Arrival Centre Østfold (AØ) will be operated by Hero and will, if necessary, have a capacity of 1,000 beds. According to the UDI, the giant facilities will cover the daily needs of residents for the short period of time they will stay there.
Sylvi Listhaug believes that the proposed reorganisation of the reception and processing of asylum applications will generate huge gains.
‘Reduced reception costs, improved quality in asylum processing, faster returns where necessary and, not least, faster settlement and integration’, she said to Aftenposten, with her focus clearly on the politically correct bull’s eye.
‘Those who are refused will be immediately shipped out of the country, ideally directly from the arrival centre.
Those who are allowed to stay will be entitled to an integration receipt, possibly directly to a municipality for settlement’, she said.
The rule of law?
Arbeiderpartiet (Ap)supports several of the objectives, but asked, inter alia, questions about how to ensure legal certainty in each case.
‘We can support several of the intentions, including the effective processing of asylum applications, rapid integration,and rapid settlement,’ said the Ap spokesperson, Stein Erik Lauvås, to NTB news agency.
‘But we have questions, including the legal security of asylum seekers. How is that going to be taken care of’, asked Lauvås.
He also believes that Listhaug must account for the capacity of 1,000 beds.
‘There are many people. The centre in Østfold is big, but not so big’, he believes.
Lauvås said Ap has a number of questions for Listhaug if she elects to submit this as a proposal to parliament.
‘I expect her to come up with a well-prepared proposal that shows all sides of the case, and that the important issue of legal certainty is also addressed,’ he said.
Parliamentary Representative, Ketil Kjenseth of Venstre (V) said V will appraise the plans.
‘Fast-track processing, down to three weeks, is a matter that V and Frp are in complete agreement on’, he told Aftenposten newspaper.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
