Bollestad will look at individual cases within church asylum – is met with criticism

Both the Conservatives, the Green Party and the Norwegian Organization for Asylum Seekers (Noas) are reacting to the proposal, he writes Our country.

The KrF deputy leader came up with the proposal when she visited a family who has been in a church asylum in Finnsnes church in Senja municipality since 2014.

She says that she understands the Storting’s decision that the government should not interfere in individual cases.

– Basically, I understand such a decision, but at the same time we make laws and systems that deal with individuals and individual cases. Then we as politicians must be able to see the times people bang their heads on the ceiling for years. Is it right then that we should sit with a square set of rules? We must see the people behind the squares, Bollestad believes.

She points out that during the negotiations that led to the Granavolden platform in 2019, the Christian People’s Party received a scheme for the elderly who have been in church asylum for a long time and for those who have converted to Christianity.

– It will be natural to also discuss this. There is commitment in our party on this, says the deputy leader Our country.

– Ugreit

Storting representative Ove Trellevik (H), a member of the local government and administration committee, understands that the minister can feel sympathy for individual destinies, but believes that individual cases can still not be dealt with on an emotional basis.

He thinks it is strange that she speaks as a single candidate, and not on behalf of the government. Trellevik thinks it is awkward for Bollestad to speak like this to the media, because it creates false hopes among church asylum seekers.

Jon Helgheim, immigration policy spokesman for the Progress Party, believes it is unheard of for the Minister of Agriculture to legitimize church asylum without the support of the government.

– This is a very unwise statement from Bollestad. Such communication with the public sector contributes to undermining the Immigration Act, he believes.

False expectations

Noah leader Pål Nesse also believes it is important not to give the church asylum seekers false hopes.

He believes that on a general basis it is important that church asylum seekers do not receive a different treatment than other asylum seekers, just because they live in a church.

– Amnesty may be relevant for long-term asylum seekers, but otherwise this is something you rarely operate on, Nesse says.

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