Gaute Børstad Skjervø, the incoming leader of AUF, has expressed his discontent with the Labor Party and the government.
– The allocation of merely 200 quota refugees is a shockingly inadequate number, he remarks Our Country.
Skjervø is concerned about the fate of refugees residing in Lebanon, a nation that has taken in numerous refugees from the surrounding regions but is now facing bombardment by Israel.
– Consequently, the potential for massive flows of refugees from that area is increasingly likely. AUF firmly believes that having international systems in place to prioritize assistance for those in need is absolutely vital. Therefore, reducing the number of refugees is not a viable solution at this point, he claims.
AUF is counting on SV’s assistance in negotiating an increase in the number of quota refugees. According to Kari Elisabeth Kaski, SV’s fiscal policy spokesperson, a quota of 200 is unacceptable.
– This is utterly inconsistent with the standards of the world’s wealthiest nations. We boast extremely high incomes, an enormous oil fund, and a substantial budget, she shares with the newspaper.
The government has defended its steady reduction of quota refugees by citing the significant number of refugees from Ukraine. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Norway has accepted 100,000 refugees and displaced individuals from the country.
The recently announced quota of 200 refugees has sparked heated debate in Norway, with the incoming leader of AUF, Gaute Børstad Skjervø, expressing his strong discontent with the Labor Party and the government’s decision. Skjervø considers the allocation of merely 200 quota refugees to be shockingly inadequate, citing the potentially massive flows of refugees from Lebanon, a nation currently facing bombardment by Israel.
This sentiment is echoed by Kari Elisabeth Kaski, SV’s fiscal policy spokesperson, who deems a quota of 200 to be unacceptable, given Norway’s high incomes, enormous oil fund, and substantial budget. The two parties, AUF and SV, are united in their stance, with AUF counting on SV’s assistance in negotiating an increase in the number of quota refugees.
The government has defended its decision by citing the significant number of refugees from Ukraine that Norway has accepted since Russia’s invasion in February 2022 – a staggering 100,000 refugees and displaced individuals. However, Skjervø and Kaski argue that reducing the number of quota refugees is not a viable solution, especially in light of the country’s resources. Finland, for instance, has set an annual refugee quota of 500 persons, according to the Government Programme [[1]]. The Common European Asylum System also sets out common standards and cooperation to ensure equal treatment of asylum seekers in an open and fair system [[2]].
Moreover, France’s resettlement quota of 5,000 for 2020 serves as a striking contrast to Norway’s 200 quota, further fuelling criticism from Skjervø and Kaski. France, however, managed to resettle only 1,340 refugees in 2020 due to various impediments [[3]]. The disparity between Norway’s quota and other European nations’ raises questions about the country’s commitment to providing assistance to those in need.
