Dispute Over Deportation After Convictions. Poles Near the Top of an Unflattering Ranking

At the heart of the dispute are regulations concerning people convicted of serious crimes. Erlend Wiborg, an MP from the Progress Party (Frp), asked the government for information on foreign nationals sentenced over the past five years to at least one year of unconditional imprisonment, as well as the number of people deported from this group. Full data could not be obtained. Astri Aas-Hansen, Minister of Justice and Public Security from the Labour Party (Ap), said this would require a manual review of each case.

Other data is available, however. The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) recorded 3,605 concluded crime-related expulsion cases over five years. In 1,611 cases, an expulsion decision was made. Another 1,994 cases ended without such a decision. The ministry notes that the statistics concern the number of cases, not the number of unique individuals.<br /><br />Aas-Hansen also stated that, during the same period, 1,373 foreign nationals were sentenced to at least one year of unconditional imprisonment. It is not known, however, how many of them were ultimately expelled from Norway, as the available statistics do not allow the two sets of information to be directly linked. Wiborg believes that the current rules are too lenient. In his view, foreign nationals who commit serious crimes should leave Norway after serving their sentences.

Frp points to solutions being prepared in Denmark. The Danish government has begun work on a reform under which a foreign national sentenced to at least one year in prison for serious crimes, such as aggravated violence or rape, would generally be expelled. Wiborg wants similar regulations in Norway. In January, he presented a similar proposal in the Storting together with Frp leader Sylvi Listhaug. It was rejected, including by votes from Høyre, the Centre Party and Ap.<br /><br />The government, however, stresses the limitations resulting from the regulations currently in force. Expulsion must be proportionate, and factors that may be considered include family circumstances, children, the length of stay in Norway and whether the person arrived in the country as a child. Protection against expulsion to a country where the person faces persecution, torture or a threat to life is also significant. Of the 1,994 cases that ended without expulsion, 593 concerned people protected against return. State Secretary Joakim Øren of Ap stresses that Norway is bound by international law and cannot send people back to places where they face inhuman treatment.

At the same time, the government announces further changes concerning foreign nationals who commit crimes. Øren said that Norway is currently working on the possibility of Nordic cooperation on return centres, asylum centres or other arrangements in safe third countries. This direction may become the next element of Norway's debate on the expulsion of foreign nationals.