Just over half of the financial social assistance in Norway is going to people with an immigrant background, according to figures from Statistics Norway (SSB).
On behalf of the Progress Party (FRP), Statistics Norway has looked more closely at the development of the use of financial social assistance in Norwegian municipalities from 2009 to 2019.
The figures show that people with an immigrant background, who make up just over 17% of the population, received 58% of all social assistance in 2019, the newspaper Nettavisen writes.
Social assistance is a temporary support scheme given to persons “who are unable to provide for their own subsistence.” Around NOK 4 billion was spent on social assistance for people with an immigrant background in 2019.
A lot of refugees
Department director Jan Erik Grundtjernlien in the NAV points out that Norway has settled many refugees in the ten years between 2009 and 2019.
“These are often people who have not earned rights to benefits under the National Insurance Act, and they must therefore more often apply for social assistance when they need financial support,” he wrote in an email to Nettavisen.
According to the SSB, 4.5% of the population in Norway has a refugee background.
Grundtjernlien also pointed out that the Norwegian labor market places ever stricter requirements on the level of Norwegian and on formal competence.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayFinance
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