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LIVING IN NORWAY

‘They don’t ask if you need help’: How Norway can be more inclusive for foreigners

Norway has consistently been ranked as one of the hardest places for foreign residents to settle and feel accepted. We've asked foreigners in Norway what needs to change.

Published: 16 July 2024 16:09 CEST
Pictured are two people in Oslo.
The Local's readers have had their say on how Norway could be more inclusive. Pictured are two people in Oslo. Photo by Giorgio Grani on Unsplash

There are plenty of factors that make Norway a great place to live, either to settle down and raise a family or to just enjoy life in the country for a few years.

While its safety, good work-life balance, and high wages tempt many foreigners, the country is also ranked as one of the hardest to settle into.

In the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Expat Insider surveys by InterNations, Norway was ranked as one of the hardest places in the world for international residents to settle.

In the “ease of settling in” section of Expat Insider’s reports, foreigners struggled making friends, establishing a network, the culture, and the locals were ranked as unfriendly.

The Local’s readers have ranked it as a difficult place to settle down, with 80 percent saying it was hard to adapt in a previous survey.

Settling also requires the person moving to the country to adapt to new social norms and the local language and be willing to make an effort. Still, it is clear from the experiences of foreign residents that Norway could be doing more.

We asked our readers what they would do to make Norway more inclusive.

Archibald, who lives in Lillestørm, said that the country needed to offer more support to the families of foreign workers.

“Spousal support for foreign skilled workers needs to improve. Most of our wives struggle with depression due to a lack of jobs, difficulties with the language and getting a job,” he said.

Norway’s Directorate of Integration and Diversity has several schemes to try and help foreign residents settle in the country.

Some foreign residents who hold a temporary residence permit that can form the basis of a permanent residence permit can access training in both the Norwegian language and cultural studies.

Such schemes aim to help foreigners become familiar with the language and culture to integrate. Generally, those with work permits are excluded from such schemes.

If you want to find out more about your specific rights when it comes to language training, you should contact your local municipality.

Mtheto, a teacher at an international school in Norway, said that there was a ‘one fits all’ approach that didn’t cater for people’s specific needs or accounted for those from different backgrounds.

“(The) Biggest problem is the ‘specific ways of doing things’, which means no room to discuss and understand people’s individual needs,” he said.

“Norwegians seem to assume that everyone who comes to Norway automatically knows how everything works in Norway, and they don’t bother to ask if you need help with something… That’s why they come off as very insensitive,” he added.

One foreigner who had a holiday home in the country for more than ten years and visited the country every year for 40 years said that they found Norway very welcoming.

“In that time we were accepted by all the neighbours. We made firm friends with our next-door neighbours, and though they have now moved, we still remain in contact and see them whenever we are in Norway. We retain many Norwegian Facebook friends and have never had problems being accepted in the country,” the reader wrote.

The holidaymaker, who didn’t leave a name, added that having some Norwegian language skills and understanding the country’s culture and politics helped them feel accepted.

A Romanian living in western Norway said that not being employed could leave people feeling locked out of society. Trouble accessing digital IDs was also cited as a problem.

“The BankID and electronic ID systems.. that’s crazy and discouraging. Basically, if you don’t have a job, you can hardly do anything,” they wrote.

Having more English translations on official websites was one way the reader said Norway could be more helpful.

On the topic of national IDs, the government has previously told The Local it would work on making electronic IDs much more accessible for foreigners and other members of society who struggle with access.

READ MORE: How Norway plans to tackle foreigners’ issues with digital IDs

One US reader said there needed to be more “multi-cultural management/leadership training”.

Regarding the workplace, the reader added that more blind recruitment processes would make it easier for foreigners and that the requirements for Norwegian language skills could be clearer.

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LIVING IN NORWAY

Five tips to help you make more friends and combat loneliness in Norway

Norway has earned a reputation of a difficult place to settle and make friends over the years. The Local has put together a guide on essential resources to help you fight loneliness.

Published: 6 September 2024 16:05 CEST
Five tips to help you make more friends and combat loneliness in Norway

Networking events and groups

Meeting new people can certainly feel daunting, and striking up a meaningful connection can be difficult, given the social rules of engagement in Norway.

People tend to be more reserved, and this is generally out of respect for your privacy than an unwillingness to be social.

Being in an environment that emphasises being social and meeting new people can help take the pressure off completely.

Norway’s big cities are home to plenty of networking groups where people can connect, and hopefully form friendships.

Timeleft is a platform that sets up dinners between strangers matched together using a personality algorithm. It has recently launched in Norway and is available in Oslo.

The service allows participants to choose who they would like to keep in contact with, and if the feeling is mutual, you will be able to message one another.

Other networking groups are also available. Unlock Norway hosts regular events looking to bring Norway’s international community together.

Mer av Oslo also runs regular events, such as food courses, where you can meet Oslo’s locals. However, these events will consist mainly of locals, so a lot of the conversation will likely be in Norwegian.

Foreign resident groups

A go-to for anyone new to Norway should be to join a social media group of other foreign residents. The group could be open to all foreign residents or just those from a specific country.

You can introduce yourself to these groups and explain a bit about your situation. Whether it’s a culture clash, feeling homesick, having trouble making friends, or problems connecting with your colleagues, other members in these groups can offer valuable and meaningful insights. They may also be in a similar situation and want to meet up to talk about it.

Being a member of a group of nationals from the same country as you may also help you retain a bit of personal identity so you don’t feel so lost living overseas.

Some of these groups may also schedule regular meetups where you can go along and be with other people – alternatively, you could take the initiative yourself.

Picking up a new hobby or getting back into an old interest

Learning something new with other people could help make you feel part of a wider group and allow you to make friends with people outside of the activity.

There are groups for pretty much everything in Norway, so all you need to do is look. Again, social media and your personal network can also help you find people with similar interests and point you toward where to pursue your hobbies.

Having the same mutual interest as someone makes it much easier to strike up a conversation.

Volunteering could be another solution, as spending your free time helping others can be rewarding in more ways than one.

Helping out could help you to establish friendships with others who may be in a similar situation.

Language courses and cafes

While pretty much everyone in Norway has a good grasp of English, you may not be able to feel fully settled until you’ve gotten comfortable with Norwegian.

Being unable to communicate in the local language can sometimes make it feel as if you don’t have a voice and may put you off trying to find activities and groups to socialise.

One overlooked benefit of language courses is the opportunity to meet other people. While online courses are cheaper and more flexible, it may be worth paying the extra money for an in-person course.

Should you want to hone your Norwegian skills outside of the course, then there are plenty of language cafes in Norway’s big cities.

One of the benefits of a språkkafe is the more informal setting—and the fact that there’s also a cultural exchange element, as people may be interested in the language you speak (if you speak a language other than English).

READ ALSO: Places to practice your Norwegian in Oslo

Accessing mental healthcare if you need it

Sometimes, loneliness can be a symptom of a larger problem, and getting out and meeting people may prove much easier said than done if you find yourself in a mental rut.

If you feel like loneliness is affecting your mental health or that your mental health is making you feel detached from others, then you may wish to access help.

In Norway, mental health help can be accessed both privately and through the state. GPs in Norway can offer treatment for mild or moderate health problems and refer you to a specialist. The GP will contact the mental health services in your area on your behalf.

Those with more acute problems can also access urgent mental healthcare.

READ MORE: How to access mental healthcare in Norway

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