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E.g., 07/01/2023
Country Resource - Norway
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Norway

NO
  • Population.........................................................................5,553,840 (2022 est.)
  • Population growth rate ..................................................................0.8% (2022 est.)
  • Birth rate.....................................................12 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
  • Death rate.................................................7.96 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
  • Net migration rate...............................3.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
  • Ethnic groups........................................................Norwegian 81.5% (includes about 60,000 Sami), other European 8.9%, other 9.6% (2021 est.)

CIA World Factbook

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Profile
May 1, 2005

Norway: Migrant Quality, Not Quantity

Since the 1970s, Norway has become home to thousands of non-European immigrants and refugees. MPI's Betsy Cooper takes a detailed look at how the country seeks to control migration while keeping the door open to labor from an expanding Europe.

Recent Activity

Registration of Nigerian migrants for voluntary return
Feature
January 10, 2019
An “Informal” Turn in the European Union’s Migrant Returns Policy towards Sub-Saharan Africa

The European Union's focus on formal readmission agreements with migrant-origin countries to manage the return of irregular migrants and failed asylum seekers has given way since 2016 to informal arrangements. This article explores the potential effect that nonbinding readmission pacts could have on migrant returns to sub-Saharan Africa, where return rates from EU Member States have been low.

Refugees attend a job training fair
Feature
February 27, 2018
Newcomers in the North: Labor Market Integration of Refugees in Northern Europe

After receiving more than 2 million asylum seekers in 2015-16, European countries are turning to the task of integrating the newcomers, including getting refugees into work. This article explores labor market integration of refugees in five Northern European countries—Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden—drawing key lessons for today from the experiences of earlier groups of humanitarian arrivals.

NewsOresund FrivilligaMalmo Flickr
Feature
February 10, 2016
Overwhelmed by Refugee Flows, Scandinavia Tempers its Warm Welcome

Drawn by generous asylum policies and the region's welcoming reputation, hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers arrived in Scandinavia in 2015. As the unprecedented flow overwhelmed the asylum systems of Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Denmark, lawmakers began to recalibrate their policies, tightening asylum benefits in a number of significant ways, as this article explores.

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Feature
June 10, 2015
Integration Key to Combating Radicalization: A Q&A with Solveig Horne, Norwegian Minister of Children, Equality, and Social Inclusion
With rising inflows of humanitarian and economic migrants, Norway faces a series of integration challenges. In conversation with the Migration Information Source, Solveig Horne, Norway's Minister of Children, Equality, and Social Inclusion discusses her work on integration policy, from the importance of language training and a feeling of belonging, to the protection of immigrant women and resettlement of asylum seekers.
Corruptionunderminesintegrity FredInklaar FlickrA
Feature
May 12, 2015
Finding Connections: The Nexus between Migration and Corruption
Though relatively unexplored, there are myriad links between migration and corruption. This article offers ten connections between migration and corruption, from the facilitation of illegal migration and humanitarian protection to impediments to development benefits. The migration-corruption nexus is examined in three case studies: human trafficking in Nigeria, police extortion in Latin America, and a Norwegian return scheme for Iraqi asylum seekers.
no map
Profile
May 1, 2005
Norway: Migrant Quality, Not Quantity
Since the 1970s, Norway has become home to thousands of non-European immigrants and refugees. MPI's Betsy Cooper takes a detailed look at how the country seeks to control migration while keeping the door open to labor from an expanding Europe.
Feature
September 1, 2003
Resettlement in the Nordic Countries
The efforts of Nordic countries to provide safe harbor to refugees are outlined by Mette Honore, Senior Legal Consultant to the Danish Refugee Council.
cover image for Destination-Country Policies to Foster Diaspora Engagement in Development
Reports
April 2022

Destination-Country Policies to Foster Diaspora Engagement in Development

Emigrants and their descendants can play a critical role in the development of their countries of origin or ancestry. In fact, many such countries have policies that seek to leverage their diaspora’s contributions. Much less attention has been paid to how destination countries with large international development programs are engaging their resident diasporas—or could be engaging them—in the development of countries of origin.

coverthumb MPIE ChasingEfficiency EuropeAsylum
Reports
March 2020

Chasing Efficiency: Can Operational Changes Fix European Asylum Systems?

Brussels is searching for bright ideas on how to fix the Common European Asylum System. While recent EU-level legal reforms have stalled, this report examines the many innovative, operations-focused approaches Member States have used since the 2015-16 migration crisis to improve registration and reception systems, asylum case processing, and options for returning failed asylum seekers.

Transatlantic Council Statement report, January 2020
Reports
January 2020

Rebuilding Community after Crisis: Striking a New Social Contract for Diverse Societies (Transatlantic Council Statement)

Addressing the deep-rooted integration challenges unearthed by large-scale migration and rapid social change will require a combination of strategies. Governments in Europe and North America must create a new social contract for increasingly diverse societies that are confronting cycles of disruption. This report sketches a blueprint for an adaptive process oriented by skill needs rather than national origins.

Preparing for the Unknown: Designing Effective Predeparture Orientation for Resettling Refugees
Reports
May 2019

Preparing for the Unknown: Designing Effective Predeparture Orientation for Resettling Refugees

Refugees encounter a range of challenges after resettlement—from adjusting to a new culture and language, to finding a job. Many resettlement countries invest in predeparture orientation to help refugees develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to face these challenges. This report explores the many forms these programs take, highlighting important design questions and key elements that effective programs share.

Coverthumb_TCM RadicalRightNordicCountries
Reports
June 2018

The Growth of the Radical Right in Nordic Countries: Observations from the Past 20 Years

Though hardly new to most Nordic countries, radical-right parties have grown in popular support and political power in recent years. This report analyzes the role immigration has played in their rise and recent electoral fortunes in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. It also examines the strategies other parties have adopted in an attempt to limit their growth.

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Reports
March 2013

Immigration and National Identity in Norway

This report assesses the connection between the recent rise of resentment against immigration and broader trends in Norwegian nationalism, and proposes a few policy recommendations with the aim of minimizing this rift in Norwegian society.