Municipalities will be asked to settle the lowest number of refugees in five years

The government estimates that municipalities will be asked to settle 8,680 refugees in 2027, the lowest number since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since 2022, municipalities have settled over 110,000 refugees, most of them displaced from Ukraine.

The government attributes the lower target to measures aimed at limiting arrivals and ensuring that settlement remains within Norway’s integration capacity. Several municipalities face pressure on housing and public services, while others need workers and wish to settle more refugees. Challenges also arise from secondary migration, particularly when refugees move to other municipalities and struggle to support themselves financially.

From 2027, stricter criteria will apply when requesting municipalities to settle refugees, with greater consideration given to employment and education opportunities, socioeconomic challenges, high immigrant population shares and secondary migration. Consequently, municipalities such as Fredrikstad, Sarpsborg and Halden will not be asked to settle refugees in 2027. IMDi will continue to request that municipalities settle refugees in accordance with criteria established by the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion, prioritising effective integration, early access to employment and opportunities to learn Norwegian.