The government says no to liberalization of rules concerning young asylum seekers

UDI Logo, minor asylum seekersLogo UDI. Photo Norway Today Media

The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) proposed liberalizing the rules so that more 16 year old asylum-seekers from Afghanistan receive permanent residency in Norway, but the government has put its foot down.

Unaccompanied minors of between 16 and 18 years old, who are today granted a temporary permit to live in Norway, forfeit any right to Norwegian residency when they turn 18 years old. After turning 18, they are sent to a displacement camp in Kabul.

Earlier this year, the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) proposed a change of practice regarding 16 year olds, but the proposal for the deregulation of residency requirements didn’t gain the government’s acceptance, reported VG newspaper.

‘We suggested that those under age 17 should basically not be referred for internal displacement’, said UDI director Frode Forfang.

He said the proposal would have meant that more 16-year-olds from Afghanistan would receive leave to stay in Norway. But the Government stated that it won’t happen,.

‘No asylum seekers, nor unaccompanied minors , are entitled to international protection if internal displacement protection is available in their own countries’, said a government statement.

Meanwhile, UDI gave alerts of changes in the safety assessment of several Afghan provinces.

‘There are very few provinces that may be defined as ‘generally unsafe,’ said Forfang to VG newspaper.

He stressed that the changes would have had limited impact on the number of Afghans granted residence in Norway, since this group are generally referred to internal movement to safer areas in Afghanistan.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today