Norwegian municipalities settled almost 5,000 refugees last year

RefugeesRefugees.Photo: pixabay.com

Refugees are settled faster than before, according to an annual report from the Directorate of Integration and Diversity (IMDi).

The annual report for the settlement of refugees, which has been prepared by IMDi, shows that 83 percent of all refugees were residents within six months after their decision to stay.

Compared to 2017, this is an increase of 7 percent. A total of 4,903 people became residents, which according to IMDi was in line with the settlement quotas.

“This is good news. Fast settlement of refugees provides the basis for faster integration into local communities. I would like to praise the efforts of Norwegian municipalities with their work on the settlement and integration of refugees,” says department director Halwan Ibrahim in the settlement and qualification department of IMDi.

The goal of IMDi is that 90 percent of all refugees should become residents within six months after they have been granted a decision to stay.

The refugees who were resettled in 2018 were from 44 different nations, in addition to those who are stateless. According to the annual report, the three major nationality groups were Syrians, Congolese and Eritreans.

Last year, 2,480 refugees were settled, who are also known as quota refugees. In addition, 194 single minors were settled, of which 35 were residents of Bufetat.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today