More penalized foreigners sent out so far this year

Sylvi Listhaug at the police immigration's internat on Trandum.Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB scanpix

683 penalized foreigners have been deported from Norway so far in 2017

683 penalized foreigners have been sent out of the country with force so far this year, and the largest group is Romanians. The number of foreigners deported overall is, however, clearly lower than at the same time last year.

 

– The transfer of convicted to their home countries helps fight crime and safeguards social security, says the head of the Police Immigration Unit (PU), Morten Hojem Ervik.

While the Police Immigration Unit is responsible for deporting persons without legal residence, the Immigration Directorate (UDI) is responsible for assisted returns.

In April, the police sent 165 people who have been sentenced after criminal proceedings, out of the country.

22 percent are from Romania

Of the 683 penalties sent out in the first four months of the year, 22 percent came from Romania, 14 percent from Poland and 9 percent from Lithuania.

A total of 1,896 people were sent out of the country coercively this year, 28 percent fewer than in the same period in 2016.

The proportion of deportations involving punitive actions has increased from 26 per cent in the first four months of last year to 36 per cent this year.

Low number of groundless asylum seekers arriving

Ervik believes that the low arrivals of asylum seekers have meant that the transit rate is declining.

– We are approaching a year and a half with very low number of arrivals. This is reflected in the transport statistics.

– There are now fewer asylum seekers who have no right to asylum arriving in the country. This is in line with the Government’s aim, points Ervik out.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today