Spike in asylum seekers from Turkey in Norway

VALLETTA, Malta: Norway says the number of asylum seekers from Turkey has increased noticeably in recent weeks. Officials say it will take time to process them because Oslo needs to check other countries’ practices in similar cases.

Frode Forfang, head of Norway’s Directorate of Immigration, said many had claimed political persecution at home.

This was because of links to US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed by Turkey for the 2016 failed coup.

The agency said 245 Turkish nationals had sought shelter in Norway so far, including 142 who arrived last month.

That compares to a total of 164 Turkish nationals who sought asylum in Norway last year.

The agency offered no explanation for the June increase.

Forfang said yesterday that “most of them” had been granted protection in the past.

German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer expected “very difficult” talks with fellow EU countries on taking back migrants rejected by Germany.

Seehofer headed to Vienna yesterday to meet Austrian government officials to discuss his plan to turn back asylum seekers, who had registered in another EU country.

The plan is in line with existing EU rules.

But countries on the bloc’s outer borders such as Italy have said they are unwilling to take in all the migrants who arrive on their shores.

The issue has caused deep divisions within Europe since the mass influx of refugees started in 2015.

Most recently the issue threatened to split German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government.

Seehofer told parliament that “they will be very difficult talks” and “there will be no agreements in the first round”. The first group of migrants from a private rescue boat that Malta agreed to let dock only if they were divided among several countries left yesterday for France aboard a commercial flight.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tweeted yesterday that an undisclosed number of migrants from among the 234 who arrived aboard the Lifeline last week had departed for France.

This is part of what he described as an “ad hoc agreement between nine countries” on “responsibility-sharing”.

Malta and Italy had denied safe harbour to the Lifeline, which had carried out rescues in the Mediterranean off Libya, where migrant-smugglers are based.

After a stand-off, Malta let the boat dock but only if other countries offered to take a share of the migrants.

Italy and Malta, six other EU countries and Norway agreed. –