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08.04.2023 •
Labour migration Norway's integration and diversity policy
Timothy SzlachetkoNorwegian Directorate of Integration and Diversity (IMDi)
FAFO, 15 October 2013
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Outline
• Integration and diversity policy in Norway• Facts and figures• Measures aimed at labour immigrants and their
families
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Norwegian integration and diversity policy
Key principles
Equal rights and
responsibilities
Sector responsibility
(mainstreaming) principle
Labour market participation
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A Comprehensive Integration Policy: Diversity and Community• White Paper launched
October 2012. Divided into 2 sections
Living conditions and participationCommunity and belonging
• Overarching goal for integration and diversity policy
All people who live in Norway are able to utilise their resources and participate in the community
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Directorate of Integration and Diversity:Integrerings- og mangfoldsdirektoratet (IMDi)
• IMDi promotes equal opportunities and living conditions in a diverse society by strengthening the opportunities of immigrants to participate in, and contribute to, the community
IMDi has 6 regional offices: Oslo, Gjøvik, Trondheim, Kristiansand, Bergen and NarvikOffice of the Director, as well as other administrative and strategic offices - Oslo
IMDi implements policy on behalf of the Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion• Norwegian language and social studies• Introductory programs for refugees – with benefits• Equitable public services• Interpretation services• Community engagement• Grants to immigrant organisations• Partnership agreements (funded/grants) with major non-
government/voluntary organisations (e.g. Red Cross)• Dialogue and consultative bodies• Citizenship and the right to vote in local elections (for
permanent residents)• Research and development
• In addition, services and benefits aimed at the general population through the Norwegian welfare state
IMDis most important partners are…..
• Municipalities• Public authorities• Research community
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Immigration facts and figures:14% of the population has an immigrant background
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Immigration facts and figures:Immigrants live in all municipalities
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Poles in Norway:Poles are the largest immigrant group in Norway
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0100002000030000400005000060000700008000090000
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Total resident
Net immigration
Poles in Norway
• 17% of all residents in Norway with foreign citizenship are Polish
• 77 100 Poles live in Norway
• 81% are between 20-66 years of age. Double so many men as women
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IMDis role
Monitor labour migration and its impact on integration, both for individuals and society as a whole
• Practical information on laws, regulations, rights and obligations for new arrivals and their families
• Practical advice about day-to-day life in Norway
• 18 contributors – public agencies, organisations
• IMDi is editor and responsible for developing Ny i Norge
• Over 100 000 copies in Polish distributed between September 2009 and September 2013
• 20% of all visitors to nyinorge.no er Polish (from Poland and abroad)
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Ny i Norge/New in Norway Practical information for labour migrants
www.nyinorge.no
Grants to non-government organisations (NGOs)• Grants to NGOs for information
and guidance projects targeting immigrants
Established in 2008 primarily for projects targeting labour migrantsGrant scheme varies between 2-7 NOK million7 organisations received funding in 2013 for projects aimed at labour migrants and their families
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Outcomes for immigrants and their children
• In general, integration is progressing well over timeAlthough the process of integrating into society takes longer for some groups than others
• Immigrants are relatively well integrated into the labour market, performing relatively well in education and training (particularly Norwegian-born children of immigrants), increasingly participating in civil society and democracy
• Important factors effecting integration include: socio-economic background, labour-market participation and Norwegian language proficiency, access to housing, discrimination
For more informationNorwegian Ministry of Children, Equality and Inclusion
www.regjeringen.dep.no/bld/english
Norwegian Directorate of Integration and Diversitywww.imdi.no/en/Sprak/English/
Statistics Norwaywww.ssb.no/innvandring_en/