Nearly 250 people were refused passports last year

Passports, dual citizenshipPassports.Photo: Norway Today Media

Nearly 250 people were denied a Norwegian passport by the police in 2018. Several of the refusals concerned fears that the applicant could escape from a prison sentence.

Of those who had their passport application rejected last year, 63 people complained of the Police Directorate’s decision wrote Dagsavisen newspaper.

The paper had collected the figures from the country’s twelve police districts and the directorate.

Eastern police district rejected 89 passports last year.

The figure for Oslo police district was 40, for the police in Sørvest, the number was 38, and for Troms, 31 applications.

Nine of the refusals in the Eastern Police District concerned the applicant being subject to a sentence of imprisonment “or other statutory decision (…)
imposing detention”. This is also the most common reason why people do not succeed with their rejection complaints.

Two of the complaints the Norwegian Police Directorate did not approve last year, concerned fear of abuse against children abroad.

In addition to the police, Norwegian foreign service missionscan also issue passports. It is uncertain how many these had refused passports wrote Dagsavisen.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today