53 unaccompanied minors from Ukraine to Norway
The case is being updated.
The figure is updated as of Thursday morning, according to Minister for Children and Families Kjersti Toppe (Sp). She announces an increased allocation to the care centers for unaccompanied minors.
– I follow the situation closely and am worried about the many children who have been hit hard by the war. Children on the run are especially vulnerable. More children fleeing to Norway will need help from the child welfare service, Toppe says in a comment to NTB.
Increased capacity
The Children, Youth and Family Agency (Bufetat) has increased the capacity in the care centers for unaccompanied minors under the age of 15 and has additional emergency preparedness of up to 450 places in the regional system.
Based on an estimate that there will be a total of 35,000 refugees, it is assumed that by the end of 2022 there will be 240 children in the care centers.
– These calculations are very uncertain, and we are now working on how a higher need can be met, says the Minister for Children and Families.
Asylum reception or care center
Those who are between 15 and 18 years old when they come to Norway and seek protection are offered accommodation at an asylum reception center for unaccompanied minors under the auspices of the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI).
Those under the age of 15 are offered a place in a care center for minors under the auspices of Bufetat.
– My main responsibility is to ensure that children under the age of 15 receive an offer in a care center before they move to a municipality, says Kjersti Toppe.