Although Norway normally receives several thousand asylum seekers annually, this year the number of applications has increased to a projected 15,000. Currently, Code partner Henning Kaland explains, refugees are housed in rundown hotel rooms and report to one of approximately 200 asylum reception centers. Although refugees can attend language classes during their application period, “they are basically offered to do nothing for one to two years, waiting to get an answer from our well-developed bureaucracy. This can be a very frustrating period, when people feel insecure about what the future will hold.”
Bjarne Ringstad, another of Code’s five partners, says that Norway can support the influx. The country enjoys an unemployment rate of 21¼2 percent, and popular economic forecasts predict a million-person labor shortage by 2038. The government could prepare its refugees for this work. “Many politicians and regular Norwegians talk about refugees as a problem,” Kaland adds. “They should think of them as an asset.”
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.