Three Taiwanese resident in Norway believe they are incorrectly registered as Chinese. Now they have brought legal action against the Norwegian state.
According to the lawsuit, Norway has violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Lawyer Arild Humlen assists the three Taiwanese.
The right to privacy also includes your citizenship. This is part of your identity. The three Taiwanese are suing Norway because they believe they are incorrectly registered as citizens of China, Humlen tells Nettavisen.
The lawsuit from the three Taiwanese intervenes directly in a heated political battle. Taiwan, which has been separated from China since 1949, has autonomy in practice, but Beijing sees the island as part of China.
If you are applying for a visa in Norway now and are listed as a citizen of Taiwan, then you will be listed as a citizen of China by the Norwegian authorities. This particular practice was implemented from 2010, says Humlen.
Although Taiwan is in practice an independent country with autonomy, the country has never formally declared independence from China. In Beijing, Taiwan is considered a breakaway republic, and China’s President Xi Jinping earlier this year asked Taiwanese residents to accept that they should and need to reunite with China.
Responding to Aftenposten last year, the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) confirmed that Taiwanese in Norway are listed with China as their country of origin:
This is in accordance with Norwegian foreign policy, said section manager Mats Risbakken in UNE.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
