On creative solutions [2]

UDI’s Director, Frode Forfang, recently wrote a blog post about rethinking the international refugee regime (det internasjonale flyktningregimet) by – if I understand him correctly – doing away with asylum in favor of a European-based quota system — La oss tenke oss et helt annet system. Et system der Europa hvert år tok imot opptil […]

On having a corner window

Fresh off a winter holiday spent at a cabin in the mountains, I’ve landed in Geneva and am happy to report that UNHCR’s archives offer working space on the third floor — not in the basement, as I had feared! (y’all can see the window behind my case of documents, right!?)

On 2016 projected global resettlement needs

UNHCR’s 2016 projected global resettlement needs is a treasure trove of context as to what’s going on, statistically, and the behind the scenes of global resettlement. From page 17, Strategic response 2015 – 2016 The Resettlement Service will: • Expand global capacity and response: Resettlement needs continue to outstrip the number of available places, particularly […]

On more proposed changes to Norwegian asylum and immigration policy

[05.04.2016 update: tracing the debate of the updated proposal can be found here.] New innvandrings- og integreringsminister Sylvi Listhaug (Frp) put out a 150 page (! document available here) document outlining proposed changes to the Norwegian asylum and immigration policy today, including 40 major + minor changes to laws and regulations. Debate will is scheduled to […]

On ‘massive’ resettlement programs

Via the BBC — [Antonio Guterres] called for the numbers of refugees being resettled in Europe to be increased. “We are encouraged by the fact that a number of European countries have been saying, and I believe this is on the table to the European Council, that a massive resettlement programme needs to be put […]

On godhetstyranniet

Here’s a concept new to me: godhetstyranniet. In an article published 3.11.2015 at NRK that discusses the (then, debated) proposals for the Norwegian government’s refugee budget (flyktningbudsjett), Silvi Listhaug responds to critics of a more restrictive set of policies — Listhaug mener meningsmotstanderne framstiller ønsker om kutt og innstramminger som slemme og kalde, mens de […]

On informal polls

From TV2, I en rundspørring TV 2 har utført blant nesten 1.000 asylsøkere på 19 asylmottak over hele landet, svarer 79 prosent av de spurte at de ser for seg en permanent fremtid i Norge. TV 2 besøkte 19 akuttmottak for asylsøkere over hele landet der de delte ut et spørreskjema med ni spørsmål, på […]

On seizing assets

Denmark is considering a new policy — via Dylan Matthews at Vox, “The Danish Government has on 10 December presented a bill before the Danish Parliament which includes a number of different initiatives on asylum policy, including the initiative on seizing valuable assets,” Mia Tang, a spokesperson for the Danish Ministry of Immigration, Integration, and […]

On new positions

Today’s new regjeringen brings a new position: innvandrings- og integreringsminister. Via NRK, Ny statsrådspost Sylvi Listhaug (37) går inn som innvandrings- og integreringsminister, en ny post som blir liggende under justisdepartementet. – Det kan bli store synergieffekter av å se de to tingene sammen. En ekstra statsrådsstilling på det området er ganske nødvendig med den […]

On graphics

The Good People at Vox once again make a great chart: Javier Zarracina illustrates UNHCR data on registered Syrian refugees to contextualize US involvement with resettlement —