How Norway's citizenship rules could be tightened under a new government
The shock return of former PM Jens Stoltenberg to Norwegian politics may have made Norway's
general election harder to call
by significantly boosting Labour's popularity, but polling in March showed a right-wing majority was still the
likeliest outcome
.
Regardless of which of the Conservative Party or Progress Party ends up leading the government there could be
a significant impact on
those applying for Norwegian citizenship in the coming years, as both parties want tighter rules on who can become Norwegian.
Erlend Wiborg, immigration policy spokesperson for the Progress Party, told the regional newspaper
Bergens Tidende
that Norway was 'handing out citizenship like candy' compared to Denmark.
Last year, Norway granted
27,276 nationals citizenship
, compared to
6,255 applicants
being awarded
Danish citizenship
.
How could the rules change?
The Progress Party has proposed a minimum residence length of 10 years to
be eligible for
Norwegian citizenship and also wants to bar those with a criminal conviction from applying.
On top of this, the party would want applicants to pass a language test at a minimum B2 level, which is a level higher than the current rules.
According to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), the B2 level is considered upper-intermediate, and language users at this level can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity.
A self-sufficiency requirement would also be introduced and apply to the five years before the applicant applied to become a Norwegian citizen.
Finally, the party wants applicants to take an oath of allegiance and pass a test on
basic
Norwegian values.
Advertisement
Passing a citizenship test, which quizzes the applicants on their knowledge of history, geography, and cultural norms, is already a requirement.
READ ALSO:
Everything you need to know about Norway's citizenship exam
Therefore, it is possible that the current citizenship test may be overhauled rather than a completely new test being introduced.
Furthermore, attendees at Norwegian
citizenship ceremonies
are already
given
the opportunity
to swear allegiance to Norway, although this is currently optional rather than mandatory.
Earlier this year, Conservative Party leader Erna Solberg told the newspaper
VG
that the level of immigration into Norway over the past two decades 'cannot continue'.
The Conservative Party has been less specific in its push to tighten citizenship but has said that it
wants to introduce tighter language requirements and identity verification
.
On top of that, applicants will not be able to apply for Norwegian citizenship if they have any outstanding debt claims against them.
This
refers to the debt collection process for overdue payments rather than general debts, such as student loans or a mortgage.
In addition to the tighter citizenship requirements, the Conservative Party said it wanted tighter family reunification rules for refugees and to increase the requirements for permanent residence.
Advertisement
At the time of writing the
Labour Party
and the
Socialist Left Party
haven't made any pledges in regards to tightening the citizenship rules on their websites or have unveiled major proposals to shake-up the current regulations.
How quickly could the rules change?
The general election isn't until September 8th, and while a right-wing majority is currently the most likely outcome - it isn't guaranteed either.
Furthermore, given the nature of the changes being proposed by the two parties, changes may need to be made to Norway's citizenship law (
Statsborgerloven).
When a law gets amended in Norway, it has to go through a process similar to that of a new law being created.
This would mean the proposal would need to be submitted for public consultation and then sent to the parliamentary committee responsible for immigration for cross-party scrutiny.
After these steps, it will then be subject to a vote in parliament before being signed off by the king and given an introduction date in the Norwegian Law Gazette.
READ MORE:
How a new law gets made in Norway
Although, the process would be more streamlined if its just the immigration regulations rather than the law that needs changing.
Applicants are normally given a few months notice of when the rules will change,
although this isn't always the case
, which would allow those close to being eligible under the current rules time to hand in their applications.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Local Norway
3 days ago
- Local Norway
Norway steps closer to defining rape as lack of consent
The legislation, backed by a majority in the country's parliament, is modelled on the "only yes means yes" law in neighbouring Sweden. Once adopted in a second parliamentary vote, the amendment would be applied to the existing criminal statute. Violators would face a maximum prison term of six years in cases where consent was not given. Denmark, Greece and Spain already treat non-consensual sexual acts as rape. Under the change in the Norwegian law, consent must be clearly expressed verbally or with a gesture. Advertisement "(Currently) the law considers it rape only if there has been violence, threats or if someone has taken advantage of the vulnerability of a person unable to resist," Justice Minister Astri Aas-Hansen said in April when she presented the government's bill. "But there may be other reason why a person cannot, or fails to, refuse a sexual advance," she added. Whether victims of sexual assault remained motionless, intoxicated or paralysed by fear during the act and were unable to fight back would be taken into account under the amendment.
Local Norway
5 days ago
- Local Norway
Norway votes down plan to limit investment in Israeli companies
Lawmakers voted by 88 to 16 against a proposal to order the fund to withdraw from companies "that contribute to Israel's war crimes and the illegal occupation" of the West Bank. Norway's sovereign wealth fund, fuelled by vast revenue from the country's oil and gas exports, is the biggest the world and has nearly $1.65 trillion invested around the globe. The government though is under pressure to use its financial clout to influence Israeli policy in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, where its settlement policy has been deemed illegal under international law. In a letter signed by about 50 non-governmental organisations, Norway's main union LO called on the Labour government to ensure that the fund's investments were in line with the country's legal obligations. The UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories on May 20 urged Oslo to "fully and unconditionally divest from all entities linked to Israel's unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory". Francesca Albanese said Norway's fund held $121.5 billion -- or 6.9 percent of its total value -- in companies "involved in supporting or enabling egregious violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territories". Advertisement Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg in response called for an end to violence, the liberation of Israeli hostages kidnapped on October 7, 2023 and the resumption of humanitarian aid. But he said the fund's investments "do not violate Norway's obligations under international law". The fund is regulated by a raft of ethical rules and has already divested from 11 companies because of their activities in the occupied West Bank. In May, it withdrew its investment in Paz Retail and Energy, which distributes fuel in Israeli settlements. Relations between Norway and Israel have soured since May 2024, when the country joined Spain and Ireland in recognising the state of Palestine
Local Norway
5 days ago
- Local Norway
'Without BankID you are nobody': Foreigners in Norway lament bureaucratic headaches
Getting a Bank ID When asked to list their worst bureaucratic headaches in Norway the single most widespread gripe among our international readership and online groups was the complex and drawn-out process of obtaining a BankID, Norway's digital identity system. Without it, daily life grinds to a halt. 'You are effectively locked out of Norwegian society,' one reader said. 'No mobile phone number, no online shopping, no Vipps. There are some places where that is the only payment option, which is very frustrating." One respondent, Abby Noble, described it as a 'chicken and egg' conundrum. To get a BankID, you need a bank account. But to open a bank account, you need a registered address — which you often can't get without a bank account. "Why is a bank account necessary for having access to your health page in Norway?" complained Sebastian Rojas, from Chile. READ ALSO: What are the rules for getting a BankID at Norway's banks? The frustrations of having a D-number Many people, such as newly arrived asylum seekers or EU citizens planning to work in Norway for less than six months, or other foreign workers on job seeker permits, are only eligible for a D-number, which can make it hard to open a bank account or access a wide range of other services. Megan Thorsen said that after she was given a D-number on the back of her job-seeker visa, she struggled to set up something as basic as an internet connection. Others found that banks simply had no process for D-number holders, even when they had job offers in hand. 'I went to four banks,' one reader recalled. 'Eventually my Norwegian friend called his banker, who was shocked they couldn't help. They just hadn't seen the issue before.' But even getting a D-number seemed to take some time. 'Without a D-number, you are nobody. And nobody tells you what you're supposed to do next," one respondent moaned. Advertisement READ ALSO: How to switch from a D-number to a fødselsnummer in Norway Trouble opening bank accounts It wasn't only people on D-visas who had trouble opening bank accounts. One Polish respondent said the most frustrating thing about living and working in Norway was simply "waiting". "Over two months to open a bank account!" he exclaimed. "I think the response time to get all the papers ready is sometimes too much," Sebastian Rojas said. "To get my National ID number and the bank account took me at least three months. Without those two things in Norway you are very restricted to what you can actually do." Banks require physical documents, which are sent by post, and Norwegian post won't deliver unless your name is on the letter box. 'It was a nightmare,' said Abby Noble. 'I was only able to solve it thanks to kind Airbnb owners and friends I made at Norskkurs.' READ ALSO: What you need to know about opening a bank account in Norway UDI processing times Advertisement The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) also came in for heavy criticism — particularly for long waits for family reunification and citizenship applications. 'Family visas are taking 12 to 15 months,' said Frida Cota, who had to endure a long-distance relationship while waiting. "Citizenship applications are now taking 30 months if they are not automatically processed. And nobody knows or will tell what the criteria is for automatic processing." Carla Colombon, from Mexico, was unable to work for over 18 months while waiting to get all the necessary paperwork done. 'Such a waste of time and skills and super expensive for my partner and me to live on only one income." She said it has also been "incredibly frustrating" not to be able to travel freely when living in Norway on a temporary visa. Advertisement Problems getting appointments/phone contact "Have you tried calling any institutions? Waiting times of 30 min and more," complained one anonymous respondent, who described Norway as "close to a failed state". "And there is no feedback, as in normal countries (you don't get an option to evaluate how the phone call went)". "When you have to register in the country, the next appointment with the police is like half a year away somewhere in Finnmark," the commenter added. Contradictory answers/poor information Several respondents complained of getting contradictory information from different government officials, or on different government websites. "The information is not coherent," complained Elva Popsen from Greece. "When you register at UDI as a job seeker, nobody tells you that you should go to NAV [the unemployment service]. Also at the tax office, nobody tells you that you should try NAV first if you don't have a job yet." "Any interaction with government institutions leads to contradictory answers," agreed an anonymous respondent, pointing to a "discrepancy between what is indicated on the website and what was provided by direct communication". Lack of understanding among ordinary Norwegians "The challenges immigrants face are not relatable to most locals," Amber Renee explained. "They've never had to get a personal number, never had to deal with UDI, and never had to understand or care about any of these processes." "This seems to carry over to the native Norwegians who design the processes or are working in service positions for the bureaucracy. They still do not relate or understand the full picture and do not really care because it doesn't affect them." Would you add any other obvious bureaucratic hurdles? Share your own experience in the comments section below.
