Of course, the Norwegians are not the first to use money to persuade the Ukrainians to leave.
Oslo introduced a program aimed at persuading as many of the more than 51,000 Ukrainian refugees living in Norway to return home: nearly 18,000 NOK (573,000 forints) were offered to Ukrainian citizens intending to leave the kingdom.
The program, the details of which were published website
He promises 17,500 Norwegian kroner
to persons who have been "granted collective protection or residence permits on serious humanitarian grounds" and who decide to return home.
Applicants for payment must describe their travel itinerary and provide copies of tickets for air, train, bus or other means of transport, or complete a self-declaration form if using their own vehicle.
Applicants are also warned that they may lose their residence permit or refugee status upon return, and that
those intending to move back to Norway must repay all or part of the support they received upon departure.
Norway is not the only country that encourages Ukrainian citizens to leave with cash: the Swiss media reported on the government's similar program earlier this month, and the authorities in Ireland tried to "encourage" Ukrainians to return home earlier this year by using social aid funds.
Last month, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimated that more than 6 million Ukrainians fled their country last year, of which around 4.8 million settled in the EU or the United Kingdom. In 2022, Russia accepted nearly two million Ukrainian citizens.
Featured image: Metin Aktas/ Anadolu Agency
