EEA immigration affects other immigrants detrimentally

At workAt work.Photo: Pixabay.com

Competition in the labour market as a result of EEA immigration has particularly affected other immigrants according to ‘Fafo’ researcher, Jon Erik Dølvik.

Dølvik said one of the most important sources of increased differences in Norway is the part of the immigrant population who do not get into work
wrote Dagsavisen newspaper. 25 years after the entry into force of the EEA Agreement, he said that it has made it even more difficult for other immigrant groups to find a job.

‘’The competition from the labour migration that came in the wake of the EEA agreement has been particularly detrimental to the existing immigrant population.

That is the price we paid for the agreement, that the inclusion of other immigrants has become more difficult’’ said Dølvik.

On Thursday, he participated in a Civita debate on how the EEA agreement has affected the Norwegian labour market. He pointed out that employment has fallen sharply among young men with low education over the past ten years, while wage differences have increased significantly.

‘’It is difficult to explain this development without insisting that we have had one of the strongest labour immigrations in Europe in relation to population numbers, much lower contract coverage than other Nordic countries, and that the parties have been ambivalent to adopt measures to remedy this’’ said Dølvik.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today