Norway

- Broke immigrants should go home

  

Immigrants from Southern Europe that can’t find a job in Norway should go back home rather than stay on here, says the Minister of Labor, Hanne Bjurstrøm.

"If there’s no work here, there’s no work," Bjurstrøm tells Bergens Tidende.

Labor immigration from Southern Europe to Norway is on the rise, but the increase comes from very low levels.

Last year, tax cards were distributed to 3,000 Spanish citizens that work in Norway. In comparison, 70,000 tax cards were given out to Polish citizens and 80,000 to Swedes.

"We are part of the free, European labor market. That means that people can travel freely and apply for jobs," Bjurstrøm explains. But if they don’t work, Norway as a state has no further responsibilities towards the job applicants. When that’s the case, Bjurstrøm thinks it is better that the applicants go back home rather than stay around in Norway without sufficient funds.

In spite of the economic crisis and high unemployment rates in the South of Europe, Norway is unlikely to experience an increase in labor immigration like we did from Poland and the Baltic when the borders were opened in 2004, according to Bjurstrøm.

(NRK/BT)

Julie Ryland