“Zola man” Arne Viste has fulfilled his desire to be prosecuted for hiring asylum seekers without legal residence in Norway.
I am willing to go to jail for this case here. If we lived in a dictatorship, I would have risked the death penalty! says Arne to Vårt Land.
He is managing director of a staffing agency and online store, and every day he intentionally commits offenses by hiring asylum seekers without legal residence. Over four years he has paid more than NOK 8.5 million in salary to around 70 different employees. According to the Immigration Act, it is illegal to hire asylum seekers.
This case is primarily about the people. They are non-returnable and live to a minimum, says Viste.
The Zola man has attempted to be prosecuted for a long time, without success. He has even tried to report himself to get the case to trial.
Norwegian society has chosen to treat these people inhumanely, and I refuse to allow these people to perish, he says.
For his dedication and perseverance, he was awarded the Zola Prize for 2019. The award is given to people who demonstrate civil courage.
I want practical changes in Norway so that all the non-returnable asylum seekers are granted their basic rights to work and to provide for themselves, says Viste.
The trial against him starts in Oslo District Court on September 30th and lasts until October 3rd.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today