Historical archive

Proposed tightening of rules on asylum

Historical archive

Published under: Solberg's Government

Publisher: Ministry of Justice and Public Security

In response to the large number of asylum seekers entering the country, the Norwegian Government has received the Parliament’s approval of legislative amendments that among other things will enable the swift return of certain asylum seekers.

-The  amendments will make it possible to set a shorter deadline for leaving Norway, or to request that the person concerned leave Norway immediately. This will make it possible to return asylum seekers more swiftly, said the Minister of Justice and Public security, Mr Anundsen.

The amendments also contains provisions making it possible to arrest and remand in custody foreign nationals in cases where it is most likely that their asylum applications will not be processed, or to impose on them a duty to report to the authorities and to stay in a specific place. 

-The proposed legislative amendments will give the immigration authorities extended opportunity to refuse to process an asylum application if the asylum seeker concerned has already resided in a safe third country, said Minister of Justice and Public Security, Mr Anundsen. Norway considers Russia to be a safe country.

Large numbers of asylum seekers have recently entered Norway in the north at the Storskog border crossing station. The legislative amendments entails that the Ministry of Justice and Public Securitynow is able to give general instructions to the Immigration Appeals Board, and that the police has been given greater powers to detain asylum seekers in cases where it is likely that they will be returned to a safe third country.

Proposed legislative amendments (Norwegian only): Prop. 16 L (2015–2016) - Endringer i utlendingsloven (innstramninger)