Norway Cuts Resettlement Quota to 100, Lifts Syrian Asylum Suspension, and Expands Ukraine Repatriation

Norway has lowered its annual resettlement quota to 100 refugees in 2026, down from 500 the previous year, marking the sharpest reduction in its program since the 2010s. The country also lifted the suspension on asylum processing for Syrians that had been in place since December 2024, allowing new applications to be considered. In Ukraine, Norway has declared 14 regions safe and routed residents from those areas to individual refugee status determinations, though most requests have been rejected. The government has also supported the return of more than 4,000 Ukrainians to their homeland through repatriation assistance. Norway remains a major UNHCR donor, contributing $129 million in 2025, and UNHCR urges the country to align its loss‑of‑protection procedures with the 1951 Refugee Convention. The 2025‑2029 national plan introduces five priority areas and 25 projects under a security‑focused framework, emphasizing controlled immigration and integration capacity.