The Norwegian government will increase the amount of funds available for Ukrainian refugees in the revised budget for 2023.
According to The Local, the revised budget for 2023 will be fully unveiled later in May.
“We have issued a request to the municipalities to settle a total of 35,000 refugees in 2023. But the latest forecasts we have seen show that there may be even more. That is why we need to resettle more refugees,” Minister for Labour and Inclusion Marte Mjøs Persen said.
According to a new forecast, Norway could instead be required to settle up to 43,000 refugees. Therefore the government is proposing increased funding in a number of areas.
“Firstly, it will grant municipalities an extra 50,000 kroner (about EUR 4,200 – ed.) for every refugee it settles. This policy is expected to cost up to 200 million kroner (up to EUR 17 million – ed.) by the end of 2024. The money is on top of existing grants local authorities receive for settling asylum seekers,” the report says.
In addition, 459 million kroner (over EUR 38 million) will be set aside for Norwegian language training of refugees by the end of 2024.