Only 12% of Ukrainians who received temporary protection in Norway are sure that they will definitely return to Ukraine after the war, or even earlier. A third of refugees (34%) do not want to return to the Motherland at all. This is evidenced by the results of the conducted survey Oslo Met.
In total, about 65,000 Ukrainians with the status of temporary protection currently live in Norway. More than half of them (54%) are not sure whether they will return home. Their decision may change, depending on how long the war will last and what will be the situation in Ukraine.
“The number of those who want to stay here forever is increasing. This is natural. People put down roots in Norway – learned the language, found a job, arranged their lives. But it will be a big challenge for the Norwegian authorities to decide how to deal with Ukrainians after the war.” – says co-author of the study Wilde Hernes.
According to the researchers, part of the refugees will be willingly allowed to stay, by granting temporary or permanent residence permits. This will apply to those who have really integrated well in the country, pay taxes and independently provide for themselves and their families. Such migrants are currently welcome in any EU country, as there is a shortage of personnel in many industries.
We will remind that now Ukrainians arriving in Norway will not automatically receive the status of temporary protection. Now each case will be considered separately. One of the main factors that will currently influence the decision to grant asylum is the region of Ukraine where the refugee previously lived. The Directorate for Foreigners Affairs (UDI) has identified three safe regions: Lviv, Zakarpattia, and Volyn.
