MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Norway’s Immigration Minister Sylvi Listhaug will present to parliament on Tuesday the final proposals on immigration and refugee policies that seek to toughen asylum rules, the minister’s press office told Sputnik.
The main aim of new regulations is to make Norway, which last year saw a record 31,145 people apply for asylum, less attractive to migrants fleeing Syria and other war-torn countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
The initial 150-page plan was first presented to the parliament and wider public in February. Its final version seeks greater powers for law enforcement agencies to collect and store biometric information of asylum applicants.
Other proposals include restricting family reunions, extending the qualifying period for getting a permanent residence permit to five years, and enabling authorities to reject applications from asylum seekers who enter Norway directly from a neighbouring country.
