The Country Governor of Oslo and Viken in Norway has revoked a decision made by the city council in Drammen to only accept Ukrainian refugees and not others. The governor stated that this decision was in violation of the Norwegian Constitution and discrimination laws. The council had faced criticism for its February decision, with Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre condemning the move and stating that municipalities cannot decide which refugees they accept, only how many they can take in.
Drammen, Norway’s fifth-largest town, is governed by a coalition of conservative parties including Hoeyre, the Progress Party, the Christian Democrats, and the Pensioners’ Party. A senior member of Hoeyre expressed surprise at the ruling and stated that they would discuss the next steps internally within their party and among the coalition partners. Drammen has a population of around 103,000 inhabitants, with nearly a third being immigrants or Norwegian-born citizens of immigrant parents from countries such as Poland, Lithuania, Iraq, Pakistan, and Somalia.
Norway has been providing shelter to Ukrainian refugees since 2022, with 70,800 Ukrainians hosted in the country as of 2023, according to the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration. Additionally, there were 877,227 migrants in Norway in 2023, primarily from Poland, Lithuania, Sweden, Somalia, and Germany, according to official statistics. This diversity in the migrant population highlights the importance of inclusive refugee policies that do not discriminate based on nationality. The decision by the Drammen city council to only accept Ukrainian refugees was seen as discriminatory and not in line with Norway’s values of equality and non-discrimination.
The scandal surrounding the decision by the Drammen city council has shed light on the complexities of refugee integration in Norway and the challenges faced by municipalities in determining refugee policies. Prime Minister Støre’s condemnation of the decision underscores the government’s stance on the issue and the need for a unified approach to refugee resettlement. Moving forward, it will be crucial for all levels of government in Norway to work together to ensure that refugee policies are inclusive and in line with the country’s laws and values. The revocation of the council’s decision serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding constitutional principles and anti-discrimination laws in refugee resettlement efforts.
