Arbeiderpartiet

"Vi vil skape et inkluderende samfunn med god integrering mellom forskjellige etniske grupper.  Det er en gjensidig prosess, hvor både nordmenn og etniske minoriteter må delta.  Vi vil skape aksept for at det i dag finnes flere måter å være norsk på."                   

                   ~Statement from Arbeiderpartiet's national meeting, 10 November 2002¹

Arbeiderpartiet (the Labor Party) is one of Norway's more liberal parties.  Arbeiderpartiet currently holds 43 of 165 seats in the Storting (the Norwegian Parliament)², and holds the most popular support in the country at large.

    Arbeiderpartiet states its case on refugees clearly; upon searching for "flyktninger" ("refugees") on their main web site, the first article one finds is entitled "Solidaritet med verdens flyktninger" - "Support for the world's refugees".³  Arbeiderpartiet also does not restrict itself only to Norway; "Arbeiderpartiet vil arbeide for en videre utvikling av forpliktende globale etiske regler".⁴  Advocating worldwide human rights laws, Arbeiderpartiet is by far one of Norway's most inclusive parties.

    "[Det er] nødvendig for Norge å samarbeide nært med våre naboland, både i Norden og EU, spesielt i situasjoner der nærtliggende konfliktområder skaper store flytkningestrømmer."⁵  Arbeiderpartiet wishes for Norway and the other countries within the UN and other international organizations to work together to support not only refugees who flee violence and persecution but also those who were banished and interned by their home governments (these political prisoners were not included under the regulations laid out by the 2000 International Refugee Convention).⁶

    In a heartfelt speech by Signe Øye, the immigration spokesperson for Arbeiderpartiet, the party declared its strong opposition to a proposal made by Kristelig Folkepartiet and Fremskrittspartiet that would slice the annual refugee quota in half.⁷  These parties worried about the effects that the steadily increasing numbers of refugees would have on Norway; Øye's response was sharp and clearly reflective of the attitude of Arbeiderpartiet. 

            "[Det er] viktig at regjeringen får behandlet de grunnløse søknadene raskt, slik at dette ikke går  på bekostning av de             som trenger beskyttelse i Norge.  Men at dette skal være en grunn for å redusere antallet overføringsflyktninger, er like                  uforståelig som uakseptabelt."⁸

    Integration is also an important element of Arbeiderpartiet's policies.  First and foremost in their policy is the handling of each refugee as an individual, with individual needs and desires; following that, the central elements of their integration plan are work and Norwegian-language education.⁹  The lack of language skills is often the biggest barrier for refugees, and Arbeiderpartiet will not support a job market that systematically lets refugees slip through the cracks; by creating obligatory language education, Arbeiderpartiet hopes to lessen the gap between Norwegian citizens and the ethnic minority.¹⁰   By knocking down the language barrier, the job market will open up and the economic divide will begin to close as well. 

1    "We want to create an inclusive society with much integration between the different ethnic groups.  It is a reciprocal process in which both Norwegians and ethnic minorities must take part.  We want to create acceptance of the fact that today there are many ways to be Norwegian."   Arbeiderpartiet, "En ny integreringspolitikk", 10 November 2002, <http://www.dna.no/index.gan?id=12565> (15 April 2003)

2    Stortinget, "Partigruppene", n.d., <http://www.stortinget.no/partigruppene/partigruppene.html> (4 April 2003)

3    Arbeiderpartiet, "Programmet 2001-2005: Solidaritet med verdens flyktninger", n.d., <http://www.dna.no/index.gan?id=13994> (15 April 2003)

4    "The Labor Party will work towards continuing development of binding global ethical laws."  Arbeiderpartiet, "Menneskerettigheter, Programmet 2001-2005", n.d., <http://www.dna.no/index.gan?id=14063> (15 April 2003)

5    "It is necessary for Norway to cooperate closely with neighboring lands, both in Scandinavia and the European Union, especially in situations where conflicts in neighboring lands create large streams of refugees."   Arbeiderpartiet, "Programmet 2001-2005: Solidaritet med verdens flyktninger", n.d., <http://www.dna.no/index.gan?id=13994> (15 April 2003)

6    ibid.

7    Arbeiderpartiet, "Vil ikke ta fra verdens fattigste flyktninger", 13 December 2002, <http://www.dna.no/index.gan?id=13357> (15 April 2003)

8   "It is important that the government handle the refugee applications quickly, so that those who need Norwegian protection do not suffer.  But that this is a reason to decrease the total number of refugees, is so impossible to understand as to be unacceptable."  ibid.

9    Arbeiderpartiet, "En ny integreringspolitikk", 10 November 2002, <http://www.dna.no/index.gan?id=12565> (15 April 2003)

10   ibid.