Norway: Sanctuary movement under attacked
01 January 1991
Norway: Sanctuary movement under attacked
artdoc May=1994
The Norwegian government's announcement that they are prepared
to take a tough stance on about 350 Kosovo-Albianians who have
taken sanctuary in Norwegian churches was followed by
deportations in September.
The Minister of Justice, Grete Faremo, had warned the asylum-
seekers that if they set foot outside the church they will be
immediately deported. And, in response to a plea from the Save
the Children Fund, the minister made it clear that the children
of asylum-seekers in sanctuary have no right to attend school
(Dagbladet 30.8.93).
Two Kosovo-Albanian boys, who were moving from sanctuary in one
church to another, were arrested by police and deported despite
pleas from politicians (VG 9.9.93). When police arrived at the
Bestrum asylum centre to arrest a mother and daughter from
Kosovo, 12-year-old Mersije Kelmendi fled in panic (Dagbladet
7.9.93).
Ajla Sadikovic, a 12-year-old child from Kosovo, who has sought
sanctuary in a church in Trondheim, is to be deported says the
Directorate of Immigration because she was never active or
politically persecuted by the authorities (Aftenposten 3.9.93).
The Directorate has also announced that 27 seriously injured
Bosnian refugees will be deported without their applications
being considered, because they sought medical help in Algeria
before entering Norway (Klassekampen 2.9.93).
(*The information in this section has been taken from the Samora
Newsletter, August, September 1993).
Racism and fascism
General Election sees far-right falter
The far-Right have failed to secure the successes it predicted
in Norway's general election in September. Whereas the Fatherland
Party and End Immigration obtained 12,000 votes, the anti-
immigrant Progress Party lost half of its seats in parliament.
Apparently, immigration never really became an election issue,
despite attempts by the far-right to make it such. The Progress
Party's election campaign focused on attacks on Islam and on the
Church for failing the spirit of Christianity and for giving
sanctuary to asylum-seekers.
At a pre-election meeting in a staunchly Christian community
in the south of the country, the leader of the Progress Party,
Carl I. Hagen, said: `I am shocked that the Church sincerely
welcomes foreign religions. Before, we used to send missionaries
to Moslem countries so that they would convert to Christianity.
Now, the Norwegian church is arranging to spread Islam in our
country' (Vart Land 24.8.93).
Progress Party MP, Fridtjof Frank Gundersen, said: `Everywhere
there are Moslems, there is trouble and hell raising. Why should
Norway of all countries be committed to accepting Moslems on the
run?' He also suggested that Norway should deny asylum to
refugees from Islamic countries.
Carl Hagen, during the election campaign, also backed a
decision by a housing corporation in Floro which prevented a
Tamil man from buying a flat. The housing corporation should have
the right to say no to foreigners or others they believe do not
fit in with its surroundings, said the MP (FIRDA 20.8.93). The
Fatherland Party faced stiff opposition from anti-fascists in
southern Norway when it tried to hold election meetings. A
meeting in Oslo ended in chaos when the PA-system was broken and
speaker, Harald Trefall, was pelted with eggs and tomatoes.
Other neo-nazi meetings were also halted (Klassekampen 6.9.93,
Arbeiderbladet 10.9.93).
Racism against refugees
Following protests from Bosnian refugees against living
conditions in the isolated Luster asylum centre, situated in the
middle of a forest, Bosnian children attending a local school
have met with increasing hostility. Swastikas and slogans such
as `Serbia kill Norway' and `Norway for the Norwegians' have
appeared on school grounds (Sogn Avis 23.9.93).
An asylum centre in Vestfossen was attacked by a group of
twenty skinheads who hurled<