1. Labour migration
Norway's integration and diversity policy
Timothy Szlachetko
Norwegian Directorate of Integration and Diversity (IMDi)
FAFO, 15 October 2013
1
29.10.2013 •

2. Outline
• Integration and diversity policy in Norway
• Facts and figures
• Measures aimed at labour immigrants and their
families
2
29.10.2013 •

3. Norwegian integration and diversity
policy
Key principles
Equal rights and
responsibilities
Sector responsibility
(mainstreaming) principle
Labour market participation
3
29.10.2013 •

4. A Comprehensive Integration Policy:
Diversity and Community
• White Paper launched
October 2012. Divided into
2 sections
Living conditions and
participation
Community 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

5. 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 Narvik
Office of the Director, as well as other
administrative and strategic offices - Oslo
5
29.10.2013 •

6. 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 nongovernment/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

7. IMDis most important partners are…..
• Municipalities
• Public authorities
• Research community
7
29.10.2013 •

8. Immigration facts and figures:
14% of the population has an
immigrant background

9. 9
29.10.2013 •

10. Immigration facts and figures:
Immigrants live in all municipalities
10
29.10.2013 •

11. Poles in Norway:
Poles are the largest immigrant group in
Norway
90000
80000
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
29.10.2013 •
Net immigration
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
11
Total resident

12. 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
12
29.10.2013 •

13. IMDis role
Monitor labour migration and its impact on
integration, both for individuals and society as a
whole
13
29.10.2013 •

14. Ny i Norge/New in Norway
Practical information for labour migrants
•
•
•
•
•
•
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)
14
29.10.2013 •
www.nyinorge.no

15. Grants to non-government
organisations (NGOs)
• Grants to NGOs for information
and guidance projects targeting
immigrants
Established in 2008 primarily for
projects targeting labour migrants
Grant scheme varies between 2-7
NOK million
7 organisations received funding in
2013 for projects aimed at labour
migrants and their families
15
29.10.2013 •

16. Outcomes for immigrants and their
children
• In general, integration is progressing well over time
Although 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: socioeconomic background, labour-market participation and
Norwegian language proficiency, access to housing,
discrimination

17. For more information
Norwegian Ministry of Children, Equality and Inclusion
www.regjeringen.dep.no/bld/english
Norwegian Directorate of Integration and Diversity
www.imdi.no/en/Sprak/English/
Statistics Norway
www.ssb.no/innvandring_en/