Norway to Accept Fewer Refugees Than Planned? Municipalities Demand More Funding from the State

So far, just over 200 out of 332 municipalities have responded. The deadline for submitting decisions was February 10. Some local governments have still not submitted their positions. It is already clear, however, that the set goal will not be achieved.

Nina Gran, a department head at the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities, announced that the goal of settling 13,000 refugees will not be reached. It is not yet known how large the gap will be compared to the plan. The scale of the shortfall depends on the number of missing responses. Some municipalities have still not made formal decisions.

Gran noted that differences of opinion among local governments are greater than before. She pointed to financial issues as the main reason. The state covers just under 90 percent of the costs. The remaining part burdens municipal budgets. “Several municipalities have indicated that better framework conditions are needed to consider this request,” Gran told Nettavisen.

The largest cities, such as Oslo, Stavanger, and Trondheim, have accepted the number of refugees indicated in the government's request. Some municipalities have declared they will accept more people. However, many local governments want to accept fewer people than recommended. Some smaller municipalities have rejected the request entirely.

If the total number of places proves insufficient, central authorities will take further action. Contacting municipalities that have already agreed is being considered. They may be asked to increase the number of places. Local governments point to the need for better financial conditions.

Final data will be available after all responses have been collected. Only then will it be possible to determine the exact number of available places and decide whether the government will ask selected municipalities to increase their admission limits.