Early in the morning of 24 February 2022, Russian soldiers cross the border into Ukraine. Shortly after, President Putin goes on screen and announces that Russia will conduct a special military operation. The war is a reality.
On Ukraine's national day, 24 August, two and a half years have passed since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Millions have been displaced and many have been given temporary residence in the Nordic countries.
What integration and repatriation policies do Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark have for Ukrainian refugees? This is what a Nordic research project is investigating. It has received funding from NordForsk through The Joint Committee for Nordic research councils in the Humanities and Social Sciences (NOS-HS) Project Grants.
Vilde Hernes, a researcher at OsloMet, is leading the project and says that it is interesting to compare the Nordic countries because they seem relatively similar with extensive welfare systems.
‘However, when it comes to asylum and integration policy, countries have traditionally been at opposite ends of the spectrum. Denmark is known as the most restrictive country, Sweden has been the most liberal, Norway has been somewhat in the middle, and Finland is a relatively new migration country trying to find its place. What's interesting about the influx of Ukrainian refugees is that now everything is upside down.’
Norway's U-turn
In some circles, Sweden has been categorised as the worst country for Ukrainian refugees. Sweden has set itself apart by granting Ukrainian refugees asylum seeker rights even after they have been granted a residence permit.
Denmark has taken a very positive stance towards Ukrainian refugees, the negative debate has been largely absent and the government has introduced a somewhat more liberal policy for Ukrainians compared to other refugee groups.
Finland has taken an intermediate position where Ukrainian refugees have largely been treated as asylum seekers for the first year after arrival, with the rights that this entails. After a year, however, they have the right to apply for status on an equal footing with other citizens.
‘If we look at Norway, the country has undergone a complete turnaround. At the beginning of the war, Ukrainian refugees were very much included in the already established integration programme and the financial support was higher than in many other countries. But in early 2023, more Ukrainian refugees arrived in Norway than in the other Nordic countries, and Norwegian politicians panicked,’ says Vilde Hernes and elaborates:
‘Suddenly, the government tightened the rules to prevent Norway from becoming a more attractive asylum country than others. For example, they were the first country in Europe to ban repatriation to Ukraine. Norwegian politicians are convinced that if they tighten up a bit, Ukrainian refugees will travel to other countries.’
The war drags on and creates new dilemmas
It's been two and a half years since the war broke out, and a lot has happened in the public debate in that time.
‘A year ago, we didn't think the debate would ever turn the way it has in Norway, and it kind of happened overnight. From having completely open arms, people are now saying that Norway should not be a more attractive country for Ukrainians than other countries. This is a sign that the debate is starting to change. In other European countries, support for Ukraine is still strong, but here too, we see the debate changing as the war has become more protracted. It's very easy in a crisis to open your arms, but when the crisis becomes prolonged, the open arms often become a bit of a problem,’ says Vilde Hernes.
According to her, the Nordic countries and the rest of Europe are currently facing a dilemma between short-term or long-term thinking.
‘This temporariness is very demanding at absolutely all levels, at European level, at national level, at local level and not least for the Ukrainians themselves. Right now, we all don't know whether the Ukrainians will be here for a short period of time and temporarily, or whether they will live permanently in a new homeland. There can be a lot of intersecting conflicts between the Nordic governments, Ukraine's need to get their people back home, the local communities who may want to keep the new citizens who have arrived, and not least the Ukrainians themselves. Right now, they are very divided on whether they want to return to Ukraine,’ she says.
From euphoria to uncertainty
A year ago, there was a little more optimism among Ukrainian refugees because they had started an introduction programme, were getting to know a new language and people, and were relieved to be safe in the Nordic region.
‘When we talk to them now, they are much more pessimistic about their own situation because they feel a lot of cross-pressure from Ukraine, which of course wants the population back to rebuild the country, and the new mobilisation law that Ukraine has introduced has increased awareness of a double pressure to return,’ she says.
Following Norway's austerity measures, Ukrainian refugees have also become more uncertain about whether they will be allowed to stay, and they find it more challenging than expected to be in the labour market, especially due to language barriers.
‘It's quite common for refugees to be euphoric and happy in the beginning, just because they've reached safety. Gradually, this is replaced by anxiety about the new life you have to lead, and it's challenging to be understood, make new friends, and create a whole new life when your life has been turned upside down. How these dynamics develop among Ukrainian refugees in the Nordic countries is exactly what we will be following in the research project,’ she says.
Do you want to know more?
Policy brief with Nordic comparison: ODA Open Digital Archive: Reception and integration policies for displaced persons from Ukraine in the Nordic countries – a comparative analysis (oslomet.no)
Chronicle in POLITICO on dilemmas/policy development: EU migration policy could turn into a race to the bottom — even for Ukrainians – POLITICO
Policy brief on mobolising law: NIBR-rapport (oslomet.no)
Chronicle in Euronews on the mobilising law: What can Ukrainians abroad and Europe expect from the new Ukrainian Mobilisation Act? | Euronews
