RÅDE / OSLO (Dagbladet): The first refugees from Ukraine have now arrived in Norway.
– It is very good to know that they are safe and that I have them here near me, says Lena Larsen to Dagbladet after the family has arrived.
It is reported that about 400,000 Ukrainian refugees have left the country. Lena Larsen’s family is among them. On Monday, her mother, sister-in-law and two nieces arrived national arrival center in Råde in the Bay.
The brother stayed
Lena’s brother had to stay in Ukraine.
– He is at the age that is not allowed to travel out of Ukraine, says Larsen.
Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 are stopped at the border and are not allowed to leave the country. For the time being, it is safe where he lives, in Luhansk in the far east of Ukraine.
The four in Lena Larsen’s family landed at Gardermoen on Sunday. This is Lena’s mother Lidiia, her sister-in-law Kateryna and the two children Nasty (17) and Daryna (4). The children’s father and Lena’s brother were not allowed to leave Ukraine.
– We are very grateful to come here, but it still hurts to think that there are people we know who are in Ukraine, says Kateryna.
The journey to Norway must have taken more than 36 hours.
IN NORWAY: Kateryna has arrived in Norway after a journey of more than 36 hours. Photo: Edward Stenlund / Dagbladet
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Second time on the run
It does not take many minutes before Kateryna bursts into tears. She explains that they are happy to be in Norway, but at the same time says that it is tough.
– We are much better off than many others and it just gets very emotional to think about. One thing is if you had been alone, but it is something completely different when you have children.
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This is not the first time the family has fled war. They also had to flee the war in the Donbas in 2014.
– I had not thought that we would have to flee war twice, says Kateryna.
– Do you have any hope that the war will end?
– We hope for it, but it does not depend on our people. They’re trying to fight.
Disagreement: – Send weapons now!
– Unreal
Larsen says the family waited until the last minute to leave.
– It is unreal, no one had thought it would happen. They waited until the last day to come, they did not want to leave.
Along the way, she has had contact with the family via SMS and has known that they were on their way.
– What happens there is hard to believe is true. No one is safe, says Larsen.
She hopes the family does not have to stay so long at the reception center, and that they can move near her in Lyngdal.
1000 refugees
During the weekend, 20 refugees from Ukraine arrived at the reception center in Råde.
These are women and children who should be tired after a long journey, the UDI informs NRK. The reception center has 650 beds ready. This can be upgraded to 1000 if needed.
About half of the Ukrainian refugees so far are in neighboring Poland. And a few have found their way to Norway.
– They are tired and affected by the situation, but they are well taken care of. We have a system and many good employees who take care of them, says the UDI’s local representative Knut Jostein Berglyd to NTB.
The Ukrainians at the reception came by bus from Poland, and most arrived sometime between Friday and Sunday. On Monday, another person arrived.
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