His Excellency Jamaher Anwari, Refugees and Repatriations Minister of Afghanistan visits Norway

Before meeting the Norwegian authorities, H.E. Dr. Jamaher Anwary, participated in an Afghan gathering in Afghanistan Embassy’s residence in Oslo to discuss the challenges and difficulties of the Afghan asylum seekers in Norway. The gathering which was facilitate by the Afghanistan Embassy in Oslo, a large number of scholars, intellectuals and Afghan asylum seekers from the Norwegian Asylum camps participated to share their problems and challenges with H.E. Dr. Jamaher Anwary.

In the gathering a number of Afghan asylum seekers in Norway explained the challenges and difficulties of the camps in Norway, and H.E. Dr. Jamaher Anwary promised to explain their problems to the Norwegian authorities.

During his visit to Norway, H.E. Dr. Jamaher Anwary met with Deputy Minister of Justice and Police, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Minister of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion, the Director of the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) and the Migration Appeals Board (UNE), Director of the Norwegian Refugee Council and the Head of National Police Immigration Service in charge of Afghan asylum cases in Norway.

At the meetings with H.E.Dr. Jamaher Anwary, Norwegian authorities expressed their concerns on the increasing number of illegal immigrants entering Norway.

According to the asylum policy and in accordance with the international regulations, Norwegian authorities do not grant refugee status to those who are not eligible.

Forther, according to the agreement between Norway and the UNHCR, Norway annually grants refugee status to a certain number of Afghan asylum seekers.

In this regard the Deputy Minister of Justice and police said: ” Last year around Kr.950 million have been spent on Afghan under age asylum seekers. While last year the Norwegian government in total spent Kr. 750 millions for implementation of all development programs in Afghanistan.” He added: “Currently Norway is considering to build a shelter for under age Afghan asylum seekers, inside Afghanistan.” He highlighted that the main purpose of this shelter is to equip the returnees with professional skills.”

The director of UDI, Mrs. Ida Borresen also noted in the meetings that from 2005 to 2011, the total number of Afghan asylum seekers who illegaly entered to Norway was 7709, among them 3037 of them was under age.

In his remarks in the meetings H.E. Dr. Jamaher Anwari asked the Norwegian authorities for more tolerance and more humanitarian approach in relation to Afghan asylum cases because of the sensitive political and security situation in Afghanistan.

In all these meetings Afghan delegates once again emphasized that the Afghanistan government does not accept any forced deportation, the eviction of Afghan asylum seekers should be voluntary.