Nearly four million people have so far fled the Russian bombing rains in Ukraine.
Several thousand of them have so far ended up in Norway, and for many, the reception center at Råde is the first they meet.
The center has the capacity to house 1,000 refugees, and will be a temporary stop before they are placed in Norwegian municipalities.
– TRYING TO RELAX: A Ukrainian woman and a child try to relax on the mattresses laid out in a waiting room.
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Tears and smiles
The UDI states that the refugees are usually on Råde for two to five days. But in the first weeks, capacity problems led to more people having to be there for several weeks.
– It has been hectic and demanding weeks for us. We are used to having five to twenty arrivals a day, now we suddenly got several hundred, says local representative of the UDI, Vibeke Jørgensen to TV 2.
– DEMANDING: Local representative for the UDI at Råde Vibeke Jørgensen says that the last few weeks have been very hectic and demanding.
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The refugees who arrive look clearly tired. Some of them smile bravely. Others cry. While many are just staring blankly into the air, uncertain about what will happen in the coming weeks and months.
Outside the fenced center, the children run around. Some kick a football, others have found a bicycle.
Inside the building, the field and bunk beds are close together, and there is little privacy.
See what it looks like inside the center in the video at the top of the case!
– Do what we can
The conditions have previously been criticized, but Jørgensen in the UDI believes they are doing what they can to give the refugees a dignified stay.
– TENT STAY: The refugees who arrive are placed in these tents.
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– CLOSE TO CLOSE: Inside the tents, the bunk beds are close together.
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– The core of the arrival center is to ensure that everyone is registered. There is also health screening. We believe that in the short period they are here, we think we are doing what we can to take care of them, says Jørgensen.
Jan-Paul Brekke is head of research at the Department of Social Research, and researches integration and migration.
He believes the criticism that comes is impossible to avoid.
– No country is rigged for this. The criticism of the UDI is fair, but there is nothing else to expect, says Brekke to TV 2.
– CLOTHES: Clothes collected by volunteers are sorted by age.
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– RECEPTION: Everyone who arrives must be registered.
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The research leader says that this is how it is, when the systems have to be built up so quickly.
– We do not want capacity standing when people do not come, because it is very expensive. Therefore, there must be almost some arms and legs in this phase, it is also about making it the best possible, says Brekke.
– DIAPERS AND bandages: At the center, the refugees are given the necessary hygiene items.
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Huge number
It is mainly women and children who have fled Ukraine. This means that volunteers such as Anders Lervold have been given an important role.
– STRONG IMPRESSIONS: The local team leader in the Red Cross Council has been at the reception center since 2015. But the impressions that come now are stronger than before.
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He is the local team leader in the Red Cross Council, and has been present at the reception center since 2015. But the situation now is completely different than before.
– When I came here almost five weeks ago and I saw the number of children, it made an impression. That is a huge number compared to what it used to be, says Lervold.
Difficult conditions
For him and his colleagues, one task in particular is absolutely crucial.
– When the children are well, the parents are well. We simply try to play and have fun, try to make them forget their stories a bit, says Lervold.
– PLAYROOM: The Red Cross is responsible for staffing a playroom at the reception center. To the great joy of the little ones.
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– DRAWING: From the playroom.
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But the lack of an interpreter makes communication difficult. Especially when the youngest children do not understand English.
– We do not get the really strong stories yet. I think they like to come when they live in a municipality, and some ask and dig a little more. We try to have a good time, and not ask too much, he says.
– TABLE TENNIS: There are several table tennis tables available for those who want to play.
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– ATTEMPT TO PLAY: A little Ukrainian girl has borrowed a scooter while she waits at the reception center in Råde.
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But from the little they hear, there is no doubt that the stories make an impression.
– These are tough stories. What is a little special this time is that many of the men are left. Traveling from a father or a husband is a slightly different story than we have seen before, says Lervold.
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