Guide for newly arrived asylum seekers

Since June 1, 2023, we have provided guidance to all newly arrived asylum seekers to Norway.

Through this guidance, we prepare asylum seekers for the asylum process and provide information about their rights and obligations. The aim is to create predictability and enable them to present their case in the best possible way to the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI).

We are present at the National Arrival Center in Råde to provide ongoing guidance to newly arrived asylum seekers. In addition, we provide guidance to unaccompanied minor asylum seekers aged between 15 and 18 at Mysebu. We also provide guidance to other asylum reception centers - either physically or digitally. Everyone is offered guidance - either individually or in groups. It is conducted in a language the asylum seeker understands, and within a few days of arrival in Norway.

Caritas also assists asylum seekers who need extra facilitation, whether it concerns the asylum interview or the stay at a national arrival center. We have a duty of confidentiality - this also applies to all actors in the asylum system, such as the UDI and the police.

According to section 17-17 of the Immigration Regulations, all asylum seekers arriving in Norway must be offered counselling, which must be carried out by an independent organization.

The purpose of the guidance is to ensure that the asylum seeker:

• Receive sufficient information to be able to present their case in the best possible way.
• Are given a realistic basis for assessing their chances of protection in Norway.
• Can conduct an interview with UDI in a good way.