New figures reveal how many Afghans have been evacuated to Norway
The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) revealed Tuesday how many Afghans had been evacuated to Norway following the withdrawal of Western forces from Afghanistan.
Norway has evacuated 860 Afghans after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan and Western military personnel withdrew from the country. Among the evacuated Afghans are 72 human rights activists, the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) has said.
The immigration authority said in a statement released to the press that 676 Afghans have already been granted refugee status following input from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence.
More than 500 of those granted refugee status were associated with the Norwegian Armed Forces, 63 were locally employed by the Norwegian government and 28 were children without parents.
Director of the UDI Frode Forfang said that, in principle, the parents of those children would also have the right to seek asylum in Norway under the right to family reunification.
“If we manage to get the right documentation and establish the relationships, they will have the right to be reunited. There will be an individual assessment in each case,” Forfang said in a statement released to the press.
The UDI said that 46 of those granted refugee status are yet to travel to Norway.
READ MORE: Norway says Afghanistan evacuations complete
The UDI said it would begin verifying the documentation and personal details of the Afghans evacuated to Norway.
“In other situations, this would have happened before they were brought to Norway. We have not done that yet due to the urgency of the evacuation,” Forfang said.
The refuges will be staying at the Oslofjord Convention Centre while they quarantine, and the process of verifying their identities takes place.
Norway finished the process of evacuating civilians out of Afghanistan last Friday, and press agency NTB reported at the time that around 1,100 people were brought to Norway. On Monday, a final flight containing military personnel and staff at the field hospital in Kabul airport landed in Norway.
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Norway has evacuated 860 Afghans after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan and Western military personnel withdrew from the country. Among the evacuated Afghans are 72 human rights activists, the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) has said.
The immigration authority said in a statement released to the press that 676 Afghans have already been granted refugee status following input from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence.
More than 500 of those granted refugee status were associated with the Norwegian Armed Forces, 63 were locally employed by the Norwegian government and 28 were children without parents.
Director of the UDI Frode Forfang said that, in principle, the parents of those children would also have the right to seek asylum in Norway under the right to family reunification.
“If we manage to get the right documentation and establish the relationships, they will have the right to be reunited. There will be an individual assessment in each case,” Forfang said in a statement released to the press.
The UDI said that 46 of those granted refugee status are yet to travel to Norway.
READ MORE: Norway says Afghanistan evacuations complete
The UDI said it would begin verifying the documentation and personal details of the Afghans evacuated to Norway.
“In other situations, this would have happened before they were brought to Norway. We have not done that yet due to the urgency of the evacuation,” Forfang said.
The refuges will be staying at the Oslofjord Convention Centre while they quarantine, and the process of verifying their identities takes place.
Norway finished the process of evacuating civilians out of Afghanistan last Friday, and press agency NTB reported at the time that around 1,100 people were brought to Norway. On Monday, a final flight containing military personnel and staff at the field hospital in Kabul airport landed in Norway.
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