Norwegian government wants to accept more refugees. Municipalities are already struggling

The ministry reported that forecasts indicate an increased need for resettlement in 2026. In recent months, the number of arrivals has been high, especially among young men from Ukraine. This information was provided by the Minister of Labour and Integration, Kjersti Stenseng from the Labour Party.

The minister emphasized that Norway cannot accept more refugees than it is able to integrate. Many municipalities are reporting pressure on local services. The situation is being taken seriously. The government points to the need to adjust the scale of admissions to real capabilities.

Last week it was announced that municipalities will not reach the goal of settling 13,000 refugees in 2026. About 200 out of 332 local governments have already submitted their decisions. It is not yet known how large the deviation from the plan will be. This was reported by Nina Gran from the KS organization.

Many municipalities point to a difficult financial situation. Some have announced that they will not accept any refugees. At the beginning of 2025, there were 71,313 Ukrainian refugees settled in Norway.

Since 2022, Norwegian municipalities have settled nearly 100,000 refugees in total. The ministry emphasizes that measures have been introduced to ensure controlled and balanced immigration. The aim is to avoid a situation where Norway accepts a disproportionately large number of refugees compared to other Nordic countries. The government declares its readiness to introduce further restrictions in migration and integration policy if the situation requires it.