Fewer asylum seekers to Norway this July

asylum seekers july - UDI familyThe Norwegian Department of Immigration (UDI). Photo Norway Today Media

Fewer asylum seekers to Norway in July

This July, 260 asylum seekers came to Norway. This is the lowest number in a single month so far this year, as per new figures from The Directorate of Immigration (UDI).
Usually the asylum population increases in the summer months, but this is not the case this year.

 

In total, 2,624 asylum seekers have come to Norway this year, 650 more than, this time last year. What is special this year, is that only about half of the asylum seekers have come to Norway on their own. The rest have come from Greece and Italy.

Norway has participated voluntarily in the EU’s migration program last year, and in July it reached the promised number to place 1500 asylum seekers from Greece and Italy.

Norway is one of three European countries that have filled their quotas. These come in addition to the 3,120 (quota) refugees Norway is to receive this year. 3,000 of these are among the 8000 Syrians that are to be taken over a period of three years (2015-2017). Over two thirds of this year’s quota has already been processed. The rest will be taken during the fall, says the Immigration Directorate (UDI).

Six out of ten refugees come from two countries, more than 60 percent of asylum seekers this year come from Syria and Eritrea. The rest of the refugees come from 87 different countries.

A new trend this year is that there are relatively more asylum seekers from Albania. So far this year, 60 have come. By comparison, 84 asylum seekers from Afghanistan have arrived. Very few Albanians get to apply for protection in Norway, says UDI’s own figures.

Six out of ten asylum seekers this year are boys and men, which is a slightly lower in proportion than previous years. Almost a third of asylum seekers this year are children under the age of 18, a total of 812 people, but only 134 of them have stated that they have come alone. The rest have come with family.

Fewer at reception centres

“We would have to go back to the 1990s to find the same numbers of asylum seekers,” stated UDI Director, Frode Forfang to NTB in the beginning of July.

By the end of July approximately 8,400 asylum seekers lived, in more than 100 asylum centers throughout the country. There are more than 5,000 fewer than at the turn of the year. This probably means that more asylum centers will be closed in the autumn.

“Recently, we have reduced capacity at centers significantly as the number of inhabitants goes down,” says Forfang.

The Directorate of Immigration (UDI) forecasts indicate that there will be 4,250 asylum seekers to Norway this year. The figure includes the 1,250 already in Norway from Greece and Italy.

UDI has processed about 5,600 asylum applications this year alone and 3,200 people have been granted protection. In addition, almost 3,000 that have come to Norway are family of asylum seekers who have lived in Norway. A majority of this group are from Syria.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today