The newly elected Conservative Party leader Ine Eriksen Søreide stated that Norwegian immigration and integration policy has not worked well enough. The Conservative Party wants to make family reunification more difficult and tighten requirements for asylum seekers and refugees to improve integration. The party's new policy includes five points: tightening rules for who can apply for family reunification, generally saying no to family reunification for unaccompanied minor asylum seekers, not settling refugees in municipalities and districts with high immigrant density, a new citizen contract with penalties for immigrants who do not follow Norwegian laws and values, increasing the maintenance requirement for bringing spouse, cohabitant or children to the country, and generally providing benefits only in the first settlement municipality for the first ten years in Norway.
Labour and Inclusion Minister Kjersti Stenseng says the government is already working on what the Conservative Party proposes. The government is considering limiting refugees' ability to move from the municipality they were originally placed in. Two possible measures to limit secondary migration are: making residence a condition for receiving social assistance, or requiring refugees to be self-sufficient to move to a new municipality after five years.
Sarpsborg and Fredrikstad are among the municipalities in Norway that have struggled most with issues around secondary migration. Among immigrants in Sarpsborg municipality, half have a refugee background, compared to one in three nationally.
Research shows the effect of the integration program is minimal, especially for women, and rarely leads to stable or well-paid positions. Many refugees end up in low-wage part-time positions in cleaning, health and care, even after participating in NAV measures.
Key unknowns remain, including what specific amount the Conservative Party will set for the increased maintenance requirement for family reunification, as the party has not set a specific amount for the increased maintenance requirement.