Ethnic discrimination still a problem on the Norwegian labour market

Leader of the Organisation against Public Discrimination (OMOD), Akhenaton Oddvar de Leon. Photo: Ingar Storfjell.
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Four out of ten Oslo residents with non-Western background have felt discriminated against in the job seeker’s process, according to a new survey. Leader of the Organisation against public discrimination warns of a consequent "brain drain" from Norway.

Forty percent of Oslo residents with a non-Western background report that they have experienced ethnic discrimination on the labour market, according to a survey by analyst agency Respons on behalf of local newspaper Aften.

The shocking figure represents a major setback for integration and ethnic equality in the capital.

Leader of the Organisation against public discrimination (Organisasjonen mot offentlig diskriminering, Omod), Akhenaton Oddvar de Leon told Aften that ethnic discrimination is a big problem on the Oslo labour market.

"The Norwegian labour market has a lot of obstacles for immigrants," he said, naming language, lack of contacts and difficulty in getting foreign credentials recognised as three major obstacles.

De Leon warned of a "brain drain" from Norway. "We miss out on valuable skills. The people with skills and education move," he said, calling for measures to end structural discrimination.

Henrik Lunde at the Centre against Racism (Antirasistisk senter) said that he did not find the result of the survey surprising. Although there exist laws against ethnic discrimination in theory, these do not always work in practice, Lunde pointed out.

Aftenposten English Web Desk
Kristin Solberg
Aften's reporter
Christine Engh