Norwegians find they have their own racial problems

Press, 11 February 1981, Page 19

Norwegians find they have their own racial problems

From

ROSS BROWN

in Oslo

“Norway for Norwegians — no more foreigners here.” That is the message that comes from a comprehensive survey made by an opinion institute and the nation’s leading daily newspaper. Norwegian authorities have expressed dismay about the negative results of the poll; the Foreign Workers Association says that racism is no new phenomenon in Norway; and a group of neo-Nazis now intend to use the poll as the basis for attacking foreigners.

In a series of articles the conservative “Aftenposten” suggested that 57 per cent of Norwegians believe there are enough foreigners in the land now and that 30 per cent claim there are too many; 33 per cent would prefer not to see foreigners in the streets; .52 per cent want migrants to abandon their cultural traditions and adjust to Norwegian conditions; and only 6 per cent would like a foreign worker as a son-in-law.

Dislike of migrant workers was highest among those living in rural areas with few foreign residents; and supporters of both the Labour and Conservative parties showed high rates of antialien, attitudes.

Such negative findings would : imply that Norway is experiencing an invasion of migrants who exploit the country’s resources and are elbowing the locals out of work and housing. In fact, of the 80,000 aliens in Norway (with a four million population), 63,000 are from North Europe and the United States. Only the 16,000 non-whites are popularly accepted as the genuine migrant workers. There are only 7600 Asians, yet racist slogans scrawled on seats in Oslo’s underground emphasises that anyone with a coloured skin is considered a Pakistani. Third World migrants are openly discriminated against' by landlords and are relegated to the worst housing,- generally paying •higher rents than a Norwegian would pay. Regardless of educational qualifications from their homeland they are alloted work the locals do not want, like menial tasks in

industry, and have little chance of moving into a higher socio-economic position. Frequently they are barred from entering restaurants, are sometimes attacked on the streets (few care to make a report to the police), and are frozen out of contact with the reserved Norwegians. “Coming from cultures where psychiatrists and psychologists are unnecessary, many coloured migrants now suffer mental problems due to their isolation, and their harassment,” says a Norwegian social worker.

“After Norwegians had solved racial problems in distant lands and condemned all types of racism, we met the same problem ourselves after

the first immigration of people of another colour (in 1970),” said an “Aftenposten” editorial. However “Aftenpos* ten’s” survey has also opened the way for prejudice, says the social researcher, Bente Puntervoid Boe. “By asking the question- whether migrants should adjust themselves to Norwegian conditions or retain their cultural traditions suggests that these two situations are opposed to each other. “In Britain, migrants re* tain their native language, clothing, and eating habits, yet still adjust to British politics, the educational system, and working life. “Few people seem to understand that a migrant must adjust to Norwegian conditions the day he or she sets foot on Norway, and we cannot realise the extent of the demands we make on migrants.” The poll also suggests that Norwegians are the most unenlightened people in Europe regarding the reasons for emigration and immigration, says the Foreign Workers’ Association. “This is an oddity, considering that the Norwegians come second to the Irish as the European people who found it most pressing to migrate to the New World for a better life.” “Forty-four per cent of

the people who said we had too many migrant workers reasoned that ‘they took our jobs’,” Miss Boe adds. “An alien wanting a work permit for Norway must have his applicationsigned by a Norwegian employer, who must ensure that he cannot get local manpower. Thia application is very closely inspected by the employment authorities.” Since 1975, Norway has enforced an Immigration Stop which, although virtually banning the entry of Third World people (except the families of those already in the country) has allowed in- numer-ous-skilled workers from North Europe and the United States. Whereas the connection

between heavy unemployment and increasing racism is always strong, Norway still has a buoyant economy, with only 20,000 unemployed. Another paradox of the negative attitudes towards aliens — who are clearly defined as coloured migrants — is the lack of information about the newcomers. However, the quality national and local newspapers have not spared themselves in -presenting the lifficulties faced by migrant workers. Also, they have now stopped publishing letters-to-tfce-editor with a racist streak. Racist groups, such, as the Organisation against Detrimental Immigration and the neo-Nazi National* ist People’s Party, although excluaed from poltiics, contribute to misunderstandings and dis-' crimination with their propaganda material/ Foreign migrants and Vietnamese refugees are called “polluters of the unique Norwegian culture” because “they bring narcotics and crime" into Norway, and “with their uncontrolled fertility will soon swamp western nations.” Now, the neo-Nazis, heartened by the obvious traits of foreign hatred 'in Norway, have warned of an intensive battle against immigration in the future.