Norway estimates at least 33,000 refugees to seek asylum in 2016

Norway said Friday it estimates at least 33,000 refugees will seek asylum in the Nordic country in 2016 and plans to increase its aid budget to cover the costs.

"We are facing the largest refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War... If these estimates are correct, three times as many people will seek protection in Norway in 2016 as in 2014," Foreign Minister Borge Brende said.

He said the Norwegian government is proposing an increase in the aid budget for 2016 of 1.2 billion Norwegian kroner (141.2 million U.S. dollars), making the total proposed aid budget up to 34.8 billion kroner (4.1 billion U.S. dollars) , which is over 1 percent of Norway's gross national income (GNI).

In addition, the Norwegian government is proposing to reallocate 4.2 billion kroner (494.3 million U.S. dollars) to cover the costs associated with receiving refugees, the foreign minister said.

"Next year's historically large humanitarian aid budget, which includes allocations to Syria and its neighbouring countries, will not be affected by this," Brende said. "In its proposed aid budget for 2016, the government is giving priority to the areas of education for children and young people, humanitarian assistance, and health in fragile states."

"It is through our efforts in these areas that we can make the biggest contribution to alleviating need, helping refugees close to conflict areas, preventing new crises from developing and ensuring long-term development in poor countries," he added. Endit