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Listhaug will spend 105 million extra on asylum returns

Minister of Immigration and Integration Sylvi Listhaug ( Progress Party ).Photo:: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB scanpix

The government aims to return 9,000 asylum seekers  next year also, and puts some 100 million extra kroner on the table to reach the goal.

The return target for next year is the same as in the current year, although the number of asylum seekers has decreased, says Immigration minister Sylvi Listhaug (FRP) to the newspaper VG.

– Return is a high priority. In the national budget for 2017, we will therefore propose to use 105 million extra on deportations, reveals Listhaug to the newspaper.

She will not slow the return of those who do not leave voluntarily, despite the fact that there are fewer to be sent back  when there are fewer applicants.

– We want to get most to return voluntarily if they are not entitled to legal residency in Norway.

But we need to keep the pressure up, especially to send a strong signal that Norway is not any country to come to unless you have a genuine asylum case, said the Immigration and Intergration minister.

Last year the target was to send back 7,800 people, and the achievement at year-end was 7.825. This year this was raised to 9,000, and it is thus the target for next year too.

– It’s about returning those who are rejected, but also about finding criminals to be deported from Norway. We are keen to get returned as many as possible to maintain a fair system, says Listhaug.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today

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