Norway has agreed to take in 8,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2017, under an agreement reached June 10 by most of the Scandinavian country's political parties.

The country now plans to welcome 2,000 Syrians this year, that is 500 more than previously planned, followed by 3,000 each year in 2016 and 2017.

The new figures aim to meet a quota set by the UN refugee agency UNHCR.

A compromise came after long discussions between the right-wing minority government, which had opposed allowing in any more refugees, and centre and left-wing parties, which wanted to accept 10,000 people in two years.

Under the agreement, financial aid will be distributed to the country's regions to encourage them to give shelter to those fleeing Syria's four-year war.

bbabo.Net