The number of asylum applications from Ukrainian refugees in Norway since the start of the war is surprisingly small, according to NTNU professor Marko Valenta.
The professor was asked by TV 2 about the asylum application numbers on March 23, when the total was 4,299 asylum applications during four weeks of the war.
“It is surprisingly small. Countries like Norway are generous and have well-established reception systems,” Valenta told TV 2 about the number of asylum seekers in Norway.
Around 6.5 million Ukrainians have been displaced internally in the country, while around 3.5 million have crossed national borders, according to figures from the Norwegian Refugee Council.
Most refugees fled to neighboring countries
Most refugees have so far fled to neighboring Poland, Romania, Moldova, Slovakia, and Hungary.
“I think that as the refugees get over the first shock of the war, they will probably see that there are other and better opportunities for them.
“The next wave is probably (going to move) from Poland to other European countries,” Valenta, a professor at the Department of Social Work at the NTNU, stated.
He believes that the flight to Ukraine’s neighboring countries has probably only been a temporary solution and points out that Syrians in the refugee crisis of 2014–15 first moved to Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey.
Since March 23, more Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Norway, and the total had almost doubled to 8,504 as of Sunday, April 3.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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