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The Parliament will look into dual citizenship

New automatic passport control at Gardermoen.Photo: Vegard Grøtt / NTB scanpix
A majority in the Parliament has decided to investigate the possibility of dual citizenship.
Norway is the only Nordic country that does not allow dual citizenship, but this may come to an end.  On Thursday  the Committee on Local Government and Public Administration voted to ask the government to study the matter.
 Liberal Party MP member Sveinung Rotevatn is gratified by this. The Liberal Party and the Sosialist Left Party last fall co-sponsored a proposal to remove the special Norwegian ban on dual citizenship.
– I hope the government quickly will get back to Parliament with a proposal to allow this, says Rotevatn.
A number of countries have opened dual citizenship in recent years, most recently Denmark last year.
– It is time for Norway to follow suit,  Rotevatn says and points out that internationalization has meant that more Norwegians are living overseas at times, and many of those also establish family abroad.
Moreover, many children have parents with citizenship in different countries.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today

1 Comment on "The Parliament will look into dual citizenship"

  1. Let’s analyse the key argument for refusing dual citizenship: “It ensures loyalty of the new citizens”. You should ask yourself the following: Is it better then to have hundreds of thousands of residents living inside the country as a foreigner?? Because they are not leaving, that’s guaranteed. So, if other people are meant to live inside the country, isn’t it better to have them as citizens, making them feel enganged and loyal to this country through citizenship? Having citizenship changes everything for a resident, it makes them feel part of the system. Right now they have the same obligations but not the same rights. Not to participate in democracy but forced to pay the same taxes makes them feel abused; we all pay but only the real citizens decide how taxes are spent. In the other hand, the main challenge of immigration for any country is integration, so having them as foreigners forever certainly does not help. That includes the mistake of making harder rules for them to become a citizen. The “In case of a war” factor, then most likely the “new citizens” will enroll in the army to defend the country. I really don’t see Norwegians taking gunmachines, exposing themselves to loose their legs in the battlefield; most of them will probably flee the war, how loyal is that? So in that case it would be very nice to be able to take a new citizenship abroad without giving up the Norwegian, isn’t it? Residents without citizenship will probably flee away, no reason to stay in or defend a country which marginalizes them. This would paralize the country since foreigners are everywhere: transport, healthcare, banks, services … Welcome the foreigners and they will join quickly; but reject them and they will isolate, will grow ghettos, will grow resentment, will exploit the welfare system until dry, this will send the bill soon or later. There is no way back for globalization, so welcoming and integrating ASAP is the key to succeed. Instead of displaying their national pride dressing middleage costumes in May 17th, if Norwegians cannot be proud of being the last accepting dual, at least could be proud of being the best in treatment of their immigrants, the number 1 in the world welcoming them to join, the fastest convert rate from alien to citizen, the highest feeling of loyalty among the non natives, the nr 1 benefiting of other cultures richness, the 1 having strategic links to most countries through dual citizens. Forcing others to reject their identity, their family origins, to speak our language, to dress and eat our stuff, is a mistake. Invite them nicely, and it would have much better results.

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