Immigrants from Somalia and Afghanistan earn on average the least. But no other group sends as much of their money back to the country of origin.
Aftenposten’s review shows that a Somali household in Norway has an average income of less than NOK 300,000 after tax.
By this they last year sent nearly 7 percent of their income to Somalia, averaging NOK 20.200 per family. Also Afghans in Norway have a low income but send 6.6 percent of their income back home.
For many of immigrant households with the lowest income government transfers constitute a large portion of their proceeds.
The figures do not say anything about whether the specific families that are receiving most in benefits also are the ones who send home money.
Lul Hassan Kulmiye is self-employed and spokesperson for the organization Somali Gender Equity Movement. She sends money to the country she came from.
– There is crisis in Somalia and all Somalis abroad contribute what they can, she said to the newspaper.
Altogether private individuals in Norway sent NOK 324 million to Somalia last year using Western Union and other payment services. The most money was transferred to Pakistan, NOK 384 million, according to Aftenposten.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
