What is Støre waiting for? – The human rights service
The suffering of the Ukrainian refugees is insane, with not least hundreds of thousands of children being hit hard. Yesterday, another 246 Ukrainians came to Norway on their own and with the help of Norwegian volunteers. What is it that makes Støre and co wait to put in the obvious: an air bridge from Ukraine to Norway?
Over millions, women, children and the elderly, have fled headlong from Hungary to the countries, not least to Poland, which has been imposed a huge burden by dealing with over a million refugees. They should have food, take over their heads and medical help.
The official figures for newly arrived Ukrainians to Norway in the period 28 February to 10 March are now 1,363 people, shows the UDI’s high. Yesterday was a record with over 200 arrivals, more specifically 246 people. There is hardly a drop in the ocean. It is now reported as many as 4.5 million refugees, 2.5 million displaced and to millions internally in Ukraine.
Instead of tired and frightened refugees being put on buses in Ukraine’s neighboring countries and driven all the way to Norway, after a dramatic flight from Ukraine, Norway should show a truthful human political will. Every thinking person sees that the only thing right now is for us to create an air bridge between Poland and Norway in particular. Why in the world is the Government Støre and Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl waiting to implement this obvious and humane measure? Are they waiting for Poland’s logistics to collapse and Norway does not feel it has any choice anymore?
At the mercy of good or evil forces
An air bridge with the Norway logo will be the fastest, safest and most effective means of getting to Norway for the refugees. Now they are at the mercy of random helpers who they may not know have good or evil intentions. We know from experience that there is distress, where criminal human traffickers pop up.
Mehl can tell that the UDI is now entering into agreements on 8,000 emergency accommodation places for refugees, and that this is only the beginning. Mehl says that Norway is prepared to receive “several thousand” Ukrainians. International estimates are that a total of at least four million will flee Ukraine, the most dismal estimates are up to 10 million. This has said that there has been seriousness in Ukraine, and there has been a burden that has been the airlift already in place.
The government thus says that it is prepared to receive many thousands of Ukrainians in the time ahead. Should these go to Norway themselves? We are not least talking about the elderly and children who have already gone through unimaginable disorders.
Exodus Ukraine is the most dramatic and largest influx of refugees from Europe since World War II. Also in that perspective, it is strange to say the least that the Government Støre is drying its hands.
The government should ensure three immediate measures: 1) Send employees of the Police Immigration Unit (PU) to Poland, who are professionals in verifying people’s identities. Then PU itself can ensure that those who are sent on to the nearest airport are real Ukrainian refugees, and not insiders from MENA who have come via, for example, Belarus. 2) Send health personnel who can assist refugees in urgent need of medical assistance. 3) And already mentioned airlift.
We are aware that an airlift does not stop people from getting overland to Norway, and that we can end up with 30,000 arrivals – and well so – as in 2015. But these are Ukrainians who, unlike many who came in 2015, will adapt to Norway quickly, they are vulnerable elderly, women and children, and they will after all sun marks travel home to build the country when there is peace. Ukrainians in Norway in recent years have already proven that they adapt, work and learn Norwegian.
Is the Storting taking action?
The Støre government is a minority government. It appears to be paralyzed by the consequences of the war on Ukraine’s borders. Can we expect the Storting to take action and order the Støre government to install an air bridge – and preferably immediately?
Yes, we are aware that there is a significantly greater distance between Syria and neighboring countries that during the war in Syria triggered a stream of Syrians out of the country. The Storting, following pressure from the Labor Party, imposed an extra quota of 8,000 Syrians on the Solberg Government, ie in addition to all those who crossed the country to Norway. This quota was flown into Norway. This fact supports that we get an air bridge to Norway from Poland in particular.
It’s urgent. Støre and co can not sit passively in the boat and from a distance witness the desperation among Ukrainians fleeing from dictator Putin’s artillery and bombs.