Solberg wants to have a Nordic brainstorm on integration

Prime Minister Erna Solberg and Sylvi Listhaug.Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB scanpix

Nordic countries must learn from each other in order to succeed in turning tens of thousands of refugees into compatriots, says Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

Last year Norway took 31,000 asylum seekers, while 163,000 came to Sweden.

If half of them stay, it means that the two countries together must integrate around 100,000 of last year’s arrivals.

Integration and inclusion will be key topic when Solberg is in Copenhagen on Tuesday to present the Norwegian program for the leadership of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2017.

News agency NTB is aware that Solberg will put forward a broad Nordic cooperation program for integration.

The aim is to bring new ideas to deal with what is described as one of today’s major societal challenges. She will find out if the Nordic countries can learn from each other.

– Can we learn from best practices? How do we work with the programs we approve? Can we get some economies of scale in such matters? Solberg said.

Can learn

While immigration and integration minister Sylvi Listhaug has warned against “Swedish conditions” with a parallel society, lawlessness and social unrest in Norway, Solberg will exchange experiences with neighboring countries, including Sweden.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today