Philippines, Norwegians Abroad | Norway has no responsibility for stranded Norwegians: – Nothing is required

Halvard Lira is a researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Foreign Policy (Nubi) and holds a PhD in political science.

As Netavisen recently discussed, Lira believes that Norway has no responsibility in bringing home a Norwegian father of nine in his late 70s stranded in the Philippines.

– Not much Now and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can do. Politically and legally they don’t have to do anything. The question is whether they have a moral obligation to do so, Leera tells Netavisen.

Lira believes it’s easy to sympathize with the man and his family, and praises Secretary-General Tor Bernhard Schlatch and the Justice Foundation for trying to help them. However:

– Do we think that all those who put themselves in difficult situations deserve to go home and help bring their families here because they are Norwegian citizens? I think very few would think that this should become a general rule.

Read Gunnar Stavrum’s comment:

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Norway is not a safety net when people go abroad voluntarily

– Don’t do anything wrong

– But if they can’t go home on their own, should the family stay in the Philippines?

– If people want to pay in their Spleisen, they are welcome to do so. It is clear that the government and the Ministry of External Affairs have responded appropriately in terms of legal and political conditions.

– They are not doing anything wrong here, says Lira, who believes that the exception is whether one should ethically and morally break the rules, which is about how far the welfare state should be extended.

Lira draws a parallel to the fact that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has brought Norwegians home from Israel, but the recipients had to pay for the trip themselves.

– Norway’s foreign service does a lot to help Norwegians abroad. If you lose your passport, you will be issued a new passport. But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not pay Norwegians to go home in other cases. The Ministry of External Affairs has no mandate or reason to respond to it.

– Lira explains that if you run out of money in the South, or your belongings are stolen, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can contact the person with their insurance company.

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Takes father of nine to Storting: – Shit situation

Disagreement in Storing

Lira’s move comes after several Storting politicians spoke out on the matter.

Anna Molberg, a conservative Storting politician, was clear that Norway had no responsibility to bring the father of nine to Norway.

– It is not the Norwegian government’s responsibility to bring someone home because of their financial situation. That’s not practical, and when you go to a third country with benefits, you have to follow the rules, Molberg Netavisen said.

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– Not for children not related to Norway

However, Rødt’s Mímir Kristjánsson disagreed with his parliamentary colleague.

– In my view, the first rule for Norway is that you have to get help to come to Norway, Kristjansson tells Netavisen.

He opened up that the government could give loans to those who needed help and then ask for it back.

– It is absolutely stupid that people should sit in the back, he said.

SV’s Freddy André Øvstegård for his part has announced that he will take the matter to the Storting.

– I am very sorry. It’s very bad to get into such a nasty situation, and when something like this happens, I feel like we don’t take good enough care of our people, Øvstegård told Nettavisen last week.