Immigrants rush to prosperous Europe, but end up in poverty
In Norway, with a population of about 4.8 million, there are approximately 500,000 immigrants and those born in the country to two foreign-born parents. Since 2007, the government has been implementing an integration intensification program, which, among other things, assesses the situation of the immigrant population according to a number of quantitative indicators. Their dynamics, however, show a negative trend in employment, living standards, and participation in state affairs.
If among the native population unemployment is at a record low in Western Europe at about 2.4%, then the same indicator among immigrants has risen from 7.4% to 7.9% over the past year. From 2001 to 2008, the number of newcomers living below the poverty line (60% of the average income level) increased from 31% to 36%, with almost 32% of families with children falling into this category. And the share of those receiving housing subsidies rose from 21% to 39% during 2006-2009.
The most important indicator of the degree of immigrant integration is their participation in the political life of the country. “Among people with an immigrant background, the share of those participating in parliamentary elections (held every four years) decreased from 63% in 1997 to 52% in 2009, and in municipal elections from 43% to 37% respectively. At the same time, in 2009, 76.4% of the total population took part in the Storting elections,” notes researcher Sten Inge Jørgensen.
Minister of Naturalization Audun Lysbakken partly agrees with the criticism, but points to the better situation of immigrants compared to their Scandinavian neighbors: “Despite the fact that in Sweden and Denmark about 50% of immigrant families with children live below the poverty line, we believe that 30% for Norway is also too high a figure.” He draws attention to the growth of immigrant employment in the public sector, primarily in preschool and school education.
“We can document that the longer a person lives in Norway, the better they integrate. The generation born in our country to immigrant parents achieves a higher level of education than the general population,” says Lysbakken.
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