In total, 10,200 people received Norwegian citizenship from the UDI in 2018. That is less than half of the more than 21,600 foreigners who received citizenship the year before.
Most of those who received Norwegian citizenship last year came from countries outside Europe according to recent figures from the Directorate of Immigration (UDI).
Somali citizens topped last year’s list of 1,900 granted citizenship. Then there are Eritrean citizens, with 1,100 grants, 700 stateless, 600 Iraqis, 450 from Afghanistan and about as many from Pakistan.
The new Norwegian citizens come from around 100 different countries. Nearly nine out of ten applicants were granted the application according to the UDI.
As a rule, you must have had seven years of legal residence in Norway before you can apply for Norwegian citizenship.
In addition to those who received Norwegian citizenship, 14,500 persons were granted a permanent residence permit. Here, Syrian citizens topped the list with just over 3,000 residence permits, Eritreans were second
with 2,400, then followed Somalis with 1,400, and Filipinos and Afghans with just over 800 residence permits each.
In order to obtain a permanent residence permit, one must have had a legal stay in Norway for at least three years, one must be able to support oneself, and one cannot be convicted for crime.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
But nor was given frm country’s like Nigeria Ghana and other past. Why?