Resettlement – Best Practices and
experiences from Norway
Kjell Østby, Deputy Director General,
Department of Integration and Diversity,
Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion
21st January 2009, Third Swiss Asylum Symposium
Overview
• The Big Picture and a Statistical Overview 2008-2009
• Norwegian Policy
• Who does what: roles in resettlement
• Norwegian policy on integration and inclusion
• Integration in Practice
• Financing Integration
• Results and challenges
2
Population structure, 1. January 2008
The total immigrant population: 460 000
~ 9.7 % of the total population
Descendants of immigrants: 79 000
460 000
Total population: 4 737 200
First generation: 381 000 persons
3 Statistical data provided by Statistics Norway (SSB)
The fifteen largest immigrant groups in Norway,
1. January 2008
Statistical data provided by Statistics Norway (SSB)
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Overview quota refugees 2000-2008
Year Quota Nationals
2000 1 500 Liberian, Leonean and Rwandese/Burundian,
Afghan and Iranian
2001 1 500 Liberian, Leonean and Rwandese/Burundian,
Afghan and Iranian
2002 1 500 Liberian, Leonean and Rwandese/Burundian,
Afghan and Iranian
2003 750 Liberian, Leonean and Rwandese/Burundian,
Afghan and Iranian
2004 750 Liberian, Burmese, Iranian, Sudanese
2005 1 000 Congolese, Burmese
2006 1 000 Congolese, Burundian, Burmese
2007 1 200 Burmese, Congolese, Iraqi
2008 1 200 Burmese, Eritrean, Bhutanese, Iraqi
5
Quota refugees for 2009
• 1 200 places for the 2009 quota
• Places from previous years ( 3 year perspective)
• Nationals from Iran, Palestine, Afghans, Eritreans,
Bhutanese, Burmese
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Norwegian Policy
• Norway has an annual quota of 1 200 places
• Norway sets and allocates its quota on the
UNHCR’s assesment of current resettlement needs
and priorities
• Quotas are suggested by the government and
ratified by the Parliament
• Annual quotas have a three-year perspective giving
flexibility
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Norwegian Policy continued
• Places allocated additionally for fulfilling other
criteria
• Norway has implemented a Cultural Orientation
Program
• Refugees are resettled directly in municipalities.
The goal is rapid, good and stable resettlement
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Who Does What: roles in resettlement
• The Directorate of Integration and Diversity (IMDi)
is responsible for the placement of refugees.
• The municipality is responsible for all municipal
services (housing, health etc) and for the
implementation of national integration schemes
(The Introductory Programme)
• NGO’s assist refugees with additional services
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Three level system of government
Central government
430 Municipalities
19 County authorities
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Norwegian policy on integration and inclusion
• Integration policy is primarily aimed towards newly arrived
immigrants while policies of inclusion act on organising
society to provide equal opportunities for all
• Social inclusion means that everyone who lives in Norway is
intended to have equal rights, opportunities and
responsibilities.
• This means that rights and obligations exist for all members
of Norwegian society
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Integration and inclusion in practice
• Introductory Programme - regulated nationally
since 01.09.2004.
• Refugees and others start participating within 3
months of being resettled
• A qualifying measure providing Norwegian
language skills, civic instruction and assisting in
employment or starting further education.
• Secures economic self-sufficiency, provides a
foundation for understanding and participating in
society and gives an initial network of people
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Financing integration
• Municipalities receive integration subsidies
intended to cover expenditures for resettled
refugees. These consist of:
The integration grant amounting to ca. NOK
3,5 billion (2009 state budget)
Training in Norwegian language and civic
instruction amounting to ca NOK 1,5 billion
(2009 state budget)
• Grants to municipalities and NGO’s in assisting
integration and further developing services that aid
integration
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Results and future challenges
• Results of the Introductory Programme
• Improving the quality of the programme to provide
increased differentiation (language/employment)
• The effects of the financial crisis on the labour
market
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