Ukrainian Men of Draft Age to the Front? Norwegian Party Calls for Forced Deportation

The first disclosed data show that the number of protected persons in Norway exceeds 95,000—specifically, 95,244 Ukrainian migrants have received temporary collective protection since the start of the war. Of these, 21,086 are men aged 18–60. This means that about 20 percent of Ukrainian refugees in Norway are of draft age.

FrP representatives are calling for changes in migration policy, including proposals for forced deportations. They argue that men of conscription age should be subject to exceptions only if they have been officially exempted from service in Ukraine, for example due to family obligations.

They want clear guidelines so that people who cite mobilization or avoidance of service as reasons do not benefit from protection in Norway. They explain that asylum may be denied to those who list “avoiding mobilization” as the reason for seeking protection.

According to Ukrainian law, exemptions from mobilization exist for, among others, parents of three children, sole family providers, or those caring for sick family members. If a man does not fall under these exceptions and is abroad, he is still subject to military service.

This means that even abroad, he should update his information in the Ukrainian military register. Recently, restrictions on border crossing for men aged 18–22 have been eased, allowing them to travel more freely in both directions.

Not all asylum seekers cite “avoiding mobilization” as a reason, although the UDI confirms that such motivations do appear in men's applications. The office does not keep detailed statistics in this area. Since the start of the conflict, 101,387 Ukrainians have applied for collective or individual protection in Norway—97,643 cases concerned collective protection, and 3,744 individual protection. Some refugees (over 4,000) have returned to Ukraine with the help of return support.