The Norwegian government desired to reject the applications of family immigration to Norway if part of the family is in a country that respects asylum seekers fundamental rights. The proposal, send for approval this Friday, is part of the specification in the Immigration Regulations, after Stortinget adopted the main features in June 2016.
The proposal means that Norwegian authorities may refuse family applications if they can reunite with family in another safe country, one they have stronger affiliation with. ”This means that the family application can be rejected when it is to be more natural for the family to settle in another country”, says Immigration and Integration Minister Sylvi Listhaug. “In such cases, there is no reason for the family to get residence in Norway. It is an important measure to ensure a more sustainable asylum policy”.
Immigrants must be able to safely and legally arrive in the country they are send to, and have a real opportunity to be able to settle there. This means, according to the Norwegian government, that they must or could have a formal residence permit or equivalent status in that country.
The requirements do not apply for those who have been granted a permanent residence permit in Norway. The consultation period is set to April 3, and the Government intends to implement the regulations this summer.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
