Earlier this summer, TV 2 talked about the future mother of twins Lan Zheng (29) and the desperate situation she finds herself in, where she cannot renew her expired visa and therefore has to pay for both the pregnancy and the birth in Norway.
Now, however, the already sensational case has taken a much more dramatic turn, with the Norwegian authorities threatening to throw both her and the two babies in her belly outside the country.
On Friday 12 August, she and her Norwegian husband Christoffer Høvik (28) were suddenly asked to report to the Bergen police station, where they were presented with a notice by the Norwegian Directorate of Foreign Affairs (UDI).
– At first we didn’t understand what they wanted, there must be something they misunderstood here, says Lan desperately.
In the letter, which TV 2 has been given permission to reproduce, it is confirmed that UDI is now considering the idea of sending Lan out of Norway, and at the same time banning it from the entire EU / Schengen area. Reference is made here to art. 66, first paragraph, letter a, of the immigration law, as justification for the assessment:
“(..) According to this provision, an alien without a residence permit can be expelled when the alien has seriously or repeatedly violated one or more provisions of this law, has intentionally or grossly negligently provided information that is substantially incorrect or clearly misleading in a matter to the under the law, or itself evades the implementation of a decision which means that the person in question must leave the kingdom.
(..) In case of expulsion, we will consider the possibility of registering it in the Schengen Information System, cf. SIS Law § 7 No. 2. You will therefore be banned from entering the entire Schengen area (..) “
– UDI, of 20.07.2022
The violation referred to here is therefore that Lan remained in Norway after her visa expired in April 2022.
Additionally, he says Lan can send in information he believes may be important to the case. Examples of this include if she has serious illness documented with a medical certificate, minor children with care responsibility in Norway and / or a possible Wife.
EXPIRED VISA: Lan is unable to renew the expired visa. Photo: Kåre Breivik / TV2
VERY TO KEEP IN CONTROL: The pile of cards grows with Lan’s stomach. Photo: Kåre Breivik / TV2
But this information Lan claims to have already provided. Also, months before her visa expired, she desperately tried to seek advice. This without any permanent contact person to deal with in UDI. In parallel, she also attempted several times to return to her home country, which proved difficult due to the strict pandemic restrictions.
However, it is too late now. The boy and girl in Lan’s stomach are expected as early as this fall and, according to the hospital, he cannot risk flights or quarantine her pregnancy.
CORONA: The pandemic has made it difficult to return home. Photo: NOEL CELIS
Ask the government to intervene
Lan’s treatment made several people react. Now the opposition to Storting is asking for an evaluation of the measures, which today allow situations like this.
One of those who have turned a blind eye to the case is Abid Raja, parliamentary representative of the Liberal Party. He finds it sad to read about the inhumane treatment Lan and Christoffer were subjected to.
– They throw themselves away in a system that did not at all think that the law could have such consequences, he says, before elaborating;
– I think we need to put people before systems. And if the systems fail, which is clearly happening now that the rules become so square that they don’t see the individual in it, then the systems must be changed for the good of the people.
The spokesperson for immigration policy in Rødt, Tobias Drevland, also reacts strongly.
– The Norwegian authorities should intervene here. The rules should have changed, something that Rødt has suggested several times. Now let’s hope the government is with us on this too, he says.
He also points out that the fact that undocumented people have to shell out thousands of crowns for something as traumatic as a miscarriage is absolutely insane.
– The case clearly shows why we need health care for the undocumented, he believes.
It doesn’t seem like this government wants to help people at all
Raja agrees with Drevland. He refers to party politics, which proposes that an individual should be able to make new regulations in order to be able to grant exceptions in situations like this.
– I think it has been very badly done to Lan and Christoffer that they do not get help from this government. They have to find a solution for people like this who are being crushed by the system. It doesn’t seem like this government wants to help people at all, she concludes.
Immigration policy spokesperson Grete Wold of the government’s SV cooperation party supports the criticism of the two opposition parties.
Deporting a pregnant woman who is married to a Norwegian citizen is obviously unreasonable
Grete Wold Photo: Fotonorden
– Here the practice is shown from its worst side, and the expulsion of a pregnant woman who is married to a Norwegian citizen is obviously unreasonable. It is a rigid system that is unable to see the individual or the difficulties it creates when you do not see the whole. Flexibility and common sense should be possible, he believes.
Wold also believes that current practice needs review and evaluation.
UDI: – Still being processed
In a reply to TV 2, the UDI clarifies that no decision has yet been taken on the eviction in the Lan case, and that politicians are responsible for the legislation.
“We have a set of politically determined rules for staying in Norway. In accordance with these regulations, the UDI must initiate an expulsion procedure when foreign nationals are staying in Norway without a permit.
FOLLOWS THE RULES THAT HAVE BEEN: Kjersti Trøseid, Director of Control, UDI. Photo: UDI
The UDI has previously informed Lan of the possibility of deportation, but it is important to clarify that no decision has been taken on his case. It is still under development.
When UDI assesses whether someone should be expelled, it also takes into account how invasive the expulsion will be. Children or spouses in Norway are part of this evaluation ”.
– Kjersti Trøseid, director of control at UDI
The couple appointed a lawyer, and urgently appealed the assessment in the notice notice. He was given a week to do it. They are now doing everything they can to ensure that their situation is considered by the UDI. However, they have a clear message for Norwegian politicians;
– There must be a change. This system must become more humane so that others don’t end up like us, Lan concludes.
TV 2 has been in contact with both the Ministry of Labor and Inclusion, the Ministry of Health and Assistance and the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness. The government wants to respond to criticism in the case.