The Norwegian government is considering diverting 21 percent of its $4.8 billion official development assistance budget to supporting domestic refugees for their first year in Norway, a Norwegian Ministry of Finance spokeswoman told Devex.
Norway’s proposed cuts come as a supplement to the country’s 2016 budget proposal and are the most recent and most severe of any European country so far. The funds will ease the transition of refugees fleeing to Europe from war-torn Syria. Finland approved drastic cuts last month during extended budget negotiations, amounting to a 20 percent cut to its $798 million aid budget. Sweden is weighing similar proposals amid fierce resistance from NGO groups and reports of internal dissent right up to the cabinet level. The trend suggests a shift in what observers previously called “Nordic exceptionalism” in the region’s robust aid policies.
Aid experts from Save the Children Norway worry the government’s decision to use ODA domestically could create a trend across Europe resulting in drastic cuts to development projects and the budgets of aid implementers overseas. The measures also create a degree of uncertainty, at a time when the newly approved Sustainable Development Goals call for long-term consistency and commitment from donor countries.
About the author
Molly Andersmollyanders_dev
Molly Anders is a former U.K. correspondent for Devex. Based in London, she reports on development finance trends with a focus on British and European institutions. She is especially interested in evidence-based development and women’s economic empowerment, as well as innovative financing for the protection of migrants and refugees. Molly is a former Fulbright Scholar and studied Arabic in Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco.
