Tanzanian Association Oslo

Who are residing illegally in

Norway?

Persons who are residing illegally in Norway do not represent a homogenous group. Roughly, they can be divided into four categories.

Persons without legal residence in Norway can roughly be divided into the following categories:

• Persons who have been granted visa or resident permit on false grounds.
• Persons who have been granted a valid visa or resident permit which has expired.
• Asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected finally and have not left the country.
• Persons who have entered the country without a permit and are not registered anywhere in the Norwegian system
  

The Statistics Norway (SSB) and Fafo Research Foundation are conducting a survey of the extent of illegal immigrants and their standard of living. The project is being undertaken as a result of an assignment from The Directorate of Immigration (UDI), and it is being financed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion (AID).

It is voluntary to stay in a reception centre

A reception centre is an offer of temporary residence to asylum seekers in Norway while their application for asylum is being processed. The asylum seekers can choose to stay outside the reception centre if they can take care of themselves. The UDI has no authorization to hold back those who do not want to stay in the centre. However, the UDI encourages those who choose to stay out of the centre to notify the authorities of their new address.

Asylum seekers, whose cases have been finally rejected, receive an offer to stay in a waiting reception centre until they leave the country or they are escorted out of the country by the police. Families with children are offered a place to stay in the ordinary reception centre.

Norway uses substantial amounts of resources to process asylum applications. Applicants whose cases are rejected have the right to appeal. They will be allocated a lawyer to help them. The appeal is sent to the UDI. If the UDI does not amend the decision, the appeal is sent to the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE).

Right to education and emergency health services

In accordance to the Act on Education and training, children living in Norway for more than 3 months, have the right and obligation to go to school. The respective municipalities where the children reside are responsible for offering them education.

In accordance to the Act relating to the municipal health services, persons whose application for asylum have been rejected have the right to immediate emergency health care from the municipal health services.