Norway proposes to stop providing collective protection to men from Ukraine

The Norwegian government is preparing to tighten the rules for newly arrived men from Ukraine aged 18 to 60.

This is stated in a statement by the Norwegian government.

An initiative will be submitted for public discussion, according to which Ukrainian men will no longer receive temporary collective protection. They will be able to apply for asylum according to general rules.

The restrictions will only apply to new applicants and will not affect those who already have temporary protection in Norway. It will continue to be available to men who have military discharge or deferment documents, who have entered the country under a medical evacuation program, or who are the sole guardians of children who arrived with them.

The changes are planned to be adopted by Easter, April 5.

Minister of Justice and Public Security Astri Aas-Hansen said that since the fall of 2025, Norway, like other European countries, has seen an increase in the number of young men arriving from Ukraine. According to her, Norway has accepted the largest number of Ukrainians among the Scandinavian countries. Therefore, in order for this share not to become disproportionately large, restrictions need to be tightened.

According to Minister of Labor and Inclusion Kersti Stenseng, the number of refugees from Ukraine in Norway is almost 100 000. She noted that several municipalities are complaining about a shortage of housing and increased demand for services.

• At the end of August 2025, the Ukrainian government allowed men aged 18 to 22 to travel abroad. In September of the same year, the number of Ukrainians granted temporary protection in EU countries reached its highest level in two years. The share of adult men among new refugees increased to 47%, exceeding the number of women for the first time, at 31%.

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