NordenBladet – Between October 7 and 14, the Nobel Prize winners of 2019 will be announced. During this week, you can attend a series of events labeled Nobel Calling Stockholm. The focus will be on the importance of science, literature and peace efforts, and the events will be held at various locations around town.
Learn more about the history of the Nobel Prize, take a guided tour of the Stockholm City Hall or put together your own molecule out of yarn.
The Nobel Prize Award Ceremony is held on December 10, 2019. Top scientists, royalties, and politicians gather in Stockholm Concert House to honor this year’s Laureates. In the evening, the Nobel banquet is held in the City Hall.
2019 Nobel Prize announcements:
Join the Nobel Prize Museum and listen to “the magic phone call”, when this year’s Laureates are announced.
Physiology or Medicine – Monday October 7, 11:30 am at the earliest.
Physics – Tuesday October 8, 11:45 am at the earliest.
Chemistry – Wednesday October 9, 11:45 am at the earliest.
Literature – Thursday October 10, 1:00 pm at the earliest.
The Swedish Academy will announce the Nobel Prize in Literature for both 2018 and 2019.
Peace – Friday October 11, 11:00 am.
Economic Sciences – Monday October 14, 11:45 am at the earliest.
For more information go to: The Nobel Prize Museum
Be inspired by ideas that changed the world. The Nobel Museum contains all essential information about the most prestigious prize in the world, Alfred Nobel, and the Nobel Laureates. Guided tours, films, and diverse objects take you from idea to the Nobel Banquet. Bistro serving lunch, Nobel ice cream and more. Shop.
Address: Stortorget, 11129 Stockholm
Phone: +46(0)8-534 818 00 nobelprizemuseum.se
NordenBladet – The Danish royal residence of Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen will soon be closed to all car traffic as part of moves to reduce the threat of a terror attack. The Danish news-agency “Ritzau” confirmed the details from Copenhagen City Council and the Danish Royal Court.
The move means that cars will no longer be able to drive into Amalienborg Palace square, according to the Royal Court. However, pedestrians and cyclists may continue to access the area as they do now.
There will be a total of 52 steel barriers set up to block the four entrances to the Palace Square on the basis of a safety recommendation from Danish police. An additional 13 steel gates will prevent cars from passing through the area around the castle.
“We must, of course, ensure that it is safe and secure to move in the square, and we have therefore decided to establish a permanent security of the palace site”, said Nikolaj Jensen, Deputy Director of Amalienborg castle to Danish media.
The Danish Royal Court and Culture Board states that the purpose of the ban is to increase security when larger crowds gather at the site. There are major events in the Royal House, such as the Queen’s birthday, but also on weekdays, large crowds gather at the square. After trucks and other vehicles were used in attacks overseas, the Danish Royal Court has decided to close the square for all normal car traffic.
Amalienborg is one of the most visited sights in Copenhagen and thousands of tourists from Denmark and abroad travel in the area especially during the summer months, at royal birthdays and to see the Royal Life Guard perform their daily change of guard ceremony.
Amalienborg is the home of the Danish Royal Family and consists of four identical classical palace façades with rococo interiors around an octagonal courtyard. In the centre of the square is an equestrian statue of Amalienborg’s founder, King Frederick V. Amalienborg was originally built for four noble families; however, when Christiansborg Palace was damaged by fire in 1794, the Royal Family bought the palaces and moved in.
Amalienborg (Amalienborg Slotsplads 5, 1257 København K, Denmark) is the home of the Danish royal family, and is located in Copenhagen, Denmark. It consists of four identical classical palace façades with rococo interiors around an octagonal courtyard (Danish: Amalienborg Slotsplads); in the centre of the square is a monumental equestrian statue of Amalienborg’s founder, King Frederick V.
Amalienborg was originally built for four noble families; however, when Christiansborg Palace burned on 26 February 1794, the royal family bought the palaces and moved in. Over the years various kings and their families have resided in the four different palaces.
History
The first palaces on the site
The Frederiksstaden district was built on the former grounds of two other palaces. The first palace was called Sophie Amalienborg. It was built by Queen Sophie Amalie, consort to Frederick III, on part of the land which her father-in-law Christian IV had acquired outside of Copenhagen’s old walled city, now known as the Indre By district, in the early 17th century when he had been king. Other parts of the land were used for Rosenborg Castle, Nyboder, and the new Eastern fortified wall around the old city.
It included a garden, a replacement for the “Queen’s Garden” which had been located beyond the city’s western gate Vesterport, an area today known as Vesterbro, and which had been destroyed under siege from Sweden in 1659.
Work on the garden began in 1664, and the castle was built 1669-1673. The King died in 1670, and the Queen Dowager lived there until her death on February 20, 1685.
Four years later on April 15, 1689 Sophie Amalie’s son King Christian V celebrated his forty-fourth birthday at the palace with the presentation of a German opera, perhaps the first opera presentation in Denmark, in a specially-built temporary theatre. The presentation was a great success, and it was repeated a few days later on April 19. However, immediately after the start of the second performance a stage decoration caught fire, causing the theatre and the palace to burn to the ground, and about 180 people lost their lives.
The King planned to rebuild the palace, whose church, Royal Household and garden buildings were still intact. Ole Rømer headed the preparatory work for the rebuilding of Amalienborg in the early 1690s. In 1694, the King negotiated a deal with the Swedish building master Nicodemus Tessin the Younger, who spent some time in Copenhagen that summer reviewing the property. His drawing and model were completed in 1697. The King, however, found the plans too ambitious and instead began tearing down the existing buildings that same year, with the reclaimed building materials used to build a new Garrison Church.
The second Amalienborg was built by Frederick IV at the beginning of his reign. The second Amalienborg consisted of a summerhouse, a central pavilion with orangeries, and arcades on both side of the pavilion. On one side of the buildings was a French-style garden, and on the other side were military drill grounds. The pavilion had a dining room on the groundfloor. On the upper floor was a salon with a view out to the harbour, the garden and the drill grounds.
Development of Frederiksstaden by Frederick V
Amalienborg is the centrepiece of Frederiksstaden, a district that was built by King Frederick V to commemorate in 1748 the tercentenary of the Oldenburg family’s ascent to the throne of Denmark, and in 1749 the tercentenary of the coronation of Christian I of Denmark. This development is generally thought to have been the brainchild of Danish Ambassador Plenipotentiary in Paris, Johann Hartwig Ernst Bernstorff. Heading the project was Lord High Steward Adam Gottlob Moltke, one of the most powerful and influential men in the land, with Nicolai Eigtved as royal architect and supervisor.
The project consisted of four identical mansions (see below), built to house four distinguished families of nobility from the royal circles, placed around an octagonal square. These mansions (now called Palaces) form the modern palace of Amalienborg, albeit much modified over the years.
As a royal residence
When the Royal Family found itself homeless after the Christiansborg Palace fire of 1794, the palaces were empty for long periods throughout the year, with the exception of the Brockdorff Palace, which housed the Naval Academy. The noblemen who owned them were willing to part with their mansions for promotion and money, and the Moltke and Schack Palaces were acquired in the course of a few days. Since that date successive royal family members have lived at Amalienborg as a royal residence and kings have lent their names to the four palaces; Christian VII’s Palace, Christian VIII’s Palace, Frederick VIII’s Palace and Christian IX’s Palace.
A colonnade, designed by royal architect Caspar Frederik Harsdorff, was added 1794-1795 to connect the recently occupied King’s palace, Moltke Palace, with that of the Crown Prince, Schack’s Palace.
The four palaces
According to Eigtved’s master plans for Frederikstad and the Amalienborg Palaces, the four palaces surrounding the plaza were conceived of as town mansions for the families of chosen nobility. Their exteriors were identical, but interiors differed. The site on which the aristocrats could build was given to them free of charge, and they were further exempted from taxes and duties. The only conditions were that the palaces should comply exactly to the Frederikstad architectural specifications, and that they should be built within a specified time framework.
Building of the palaces on the western side of the square started in 1750. When Eigtved died in 1754 the two western palaces had been completed. The work on the other palaces was continued by Eigtved’s colleague and rival, Lauritz de Thurah strictly according to Eigtved’s plans. The palaces were completed in 1760.
The four palaces are:
Christian VII’s Palace, originally known as Moltke’s Palace
Christian VIII’s Palace, originally known as Levetzau’s Palace
Frederick VIII’s Palace, originally known as Brockdorff’s Palace
Christian IX’s Palace, originally known as Schack’s Palace
Currently, only the palaces of Christian VII and Christian VIII are open to the public.
Royal Guard
Amalienborg is guarded day and night by Royal Life Guards (Den Kongelige Livgarde). Their full dress uniform is fairly similar to that of the Foot Guards regiments of the British Army: a scarlet tunic, blue trousers, and a navy bearskin cap. The guard march from Rosenborg Castle at 11.30 am daily through the streets of Copenhagen and execute the changing of the guard in front of Amalienborg at noon. In addition, post replacement is conducted every two hours.
When the monarch is in residence, the King’s Guard (Kongevagt) also march alongside the changing of the guard at noon, accompanied by a band that plays traditional military marches. The Guard Lieutenant (Løjtnantsvagt) is always alerted when Prince Henrik or another member of the royal family are reigning in absence of the Queen. There are three types of watches: King’s Watch, Lieutenant Watch and Palace Watch. A King’s Watch is when Her Majesty the Queen takes up residence in Christian IX’s Palace. A Lieutenant Watch is when Crown Prince Frederik, Prince Joachim, or Princess Benedikte, takes the place as regent, when the monarch is unable to. A Palace Watch is when no member of the royal family is in the palace, and it is the smallest one.
NordenBladet – Crown Princess Mary of Denmark put vaccination at the heart of her agenda as she spoke at the World Health Organisation Regional Committee for Europe’s 69th session on its opening day Monday.
“I am honoured to once again have the opportunity to speak to you,” Mary started.
“Time goes by quickly and while preparing for this meeting I realized just how quickly it does go, as this is now my fifteenth year as Patron of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, and for ten of those years I have had the distinct pleasure of working together with the Regional Director, Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab.”
Dr. Jakab will step down during the session and her successor will be chosen. Mary continued, talking about the progresses made in health care and research in her time as patron.
“Health 2020 has proven to be a powerful tool to build political consensus and drive intersectoral action for health. Indeed, Health 2020 has placed the Region in an advantageous position to deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and leave no one behind in health, or in life.”
Health 2020 is an initiative launched by the WHO Europe Region that “aims to support action across government and society to ‘significantly improve the health and well-being of populations, reduce health inequalities, strengthen public health and ensure people-centred health systems that are universal, equitable, sustainable and of high quality.’”
It was adopted at the WHO Regional Committee for Europe session in 2012. At the time, Mary said that she would focus on three specific areas outlined in the Health 2020 documents: immunization, antimicrobial resistance, and maternal and child health.
Speaking on Monday, Mary added: “Throughout my years as Patron, advocating for immunization has been a priority, and a personal conviction. Every child born deserves an equal opportunity to lead a healthy life, and this includes receiving all recommended vaccines.
“We have safe and effective means to eliminate many diseases, including measles and cervical cancer, thereby preventing suffering from diseases that can permanently alter or take lives.”
Immunization factors into 14 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set out by the United Nations for its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Speaking about sexual and reproductive health services, Mary said that they have the ability to “dramatically improve lives” but are included unevenly and fragmented across the European Region.
“In too many instances, there is a failure to deliver quality and comprehensive access to information and services. Countries and health systems that do not prioritize sexual and reproductive health and rights, that do not empower girls or address gender equality, will struggle and likely fail to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
“I urge you to intensify efforts to smooth the path towards expanding coverage and providing universal access to sexual and reproductive health services, so girls and women can contribute fully and equally to sustainable development and achieve their own full potential.”
Speaking about the goals for the session, Mary said, “Through implementing Health 2020; improving health equity and the wider conditions that influence health; and building effective, integrated primary health care covering immunization and sexual and reproductive services, I am certain that you will extend universal health coverage, deliver GPW 13, and speed progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Ultimately, this means you will improve lives, hand-in-hand with the child, young person, woman or man who risks falling behind. You will enable people in the European Region to prosper and thrive.”
Other speakers on the first day of the session included Dr. Jakab and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyeus, the WHO Director-General.
NordenBladet – 13-year-old Estonian Jewish School girl, having learned the violin for six years in Saku Music School, now begins to see the fruit of the work done so far. Being nominated the best violinist in her age group in Northwest Estonia, Estella Elisheva performed as a singer in Israel in June, and in August was holding a brand new artist visa with the purpose of giving violin concerts in Japan. Earlier having only performed in Estonia and Scandinavia, the young musician is taking a big step on her career path that motivates her even more to practice and to think of a career in music.
“Every achievement encourages to practice more and give more effort. The performances are a great emotional boost and fill you with energy, they bring you to new contacts and give ideas for planning the future. The more one practices the more one likes music, and skills enable one to play music also after just listening to it, and it becomes more and more easy to play from scores. Not extensively, but step by step I am already writing some of the music myself,” says Estella Elisheva to NordenBladet.ee.
“It has been relatively easy – in the music school there are 3-4 days weekly the best teachers sharing their experience, I have been very fortunate with my violin supervisor Kaari Klesment and solfeggio instructor Urmi Sinisaar, my mom arranges-manages and supports on the media side. Mom is my greatest fan – every day she encourages, acknowledges and inspires me in what I do. My responsibility is to play the instrument and practice. Currently I perform as a solo artist and with an orchestra. But specially for Japan, we summoned a temporary band the violin + Estonian zither (Kannel), to introduce Estonian music abroad. At the moment there is in the repertoire quite a lot of ethnic tradition music and folk music. With the zither-player Sandra Serena we will be performing together in a few concerts also when we return from Japan – these will be relatively minor concerts for selected audience but the program is already scheduled and why not perform together still more. One of the concerts is also taking place in the frame of an event of the Estonian president.”
In Japan you gave several concerts and performed on Estonian Music Day. How would you evaluate the success of the concerts and are you planning to perform in Japan also in the future?
“The concerts went very well. It was rather fascinating for a change to perform in the violin + Estonian zither format, since usually I play solo, with piano accompaniment or with synth. The Estonian zither adds a Nordic mystical touch, the two instruments sound really beautiful together. Japan with its 127 million people is the tenth biggest country populationwise, this is a huge market and the audience is well aware of quality in music. The Northern countries and our culture is thoughtful, exciting and mystical – it is great to perform as well as to listen to our music. It calms, gives strenght. I definitely think of performing in Japan in the future. I hope so.”
You are announcing that so confidently like something has already been agreed on. How does it even happen when you are 13-year-old, performing on the other side of the planet Earth? “Nothing is yet agreed on, but the concerts take place when there is planning and arrangements. My mom who is my manager, deals with the organisational side. I have been notarially permitted to travel alone, I speak four languages (Estella Elisheva speaks fluently besides Estonian also English and Russian language and has been learning the Hebrew language for seven years – ed.), mother concludes agreements with agents who on their turn deal with the events and the advertisements and local arrangements. In Japan the local organiser met us in the airport – hotels, daily schedules, workshops and the performings were planned in detail. This time I was in Japan as an artist of the Harmony Fields, and in the frame of the Japanese Saku town and the Estonian Saku town common project.”
What are the plans as an artist in the future? “As of today, I do not make extensive plans regarding my career. I practice as much as possible, since regarding professional players I am still very green, and now I need to begin with composing, too. I wish to improve myself also as a composer and do my bit in contributing to Estonian music.”
More info on the young violinist Estella Elisheva and her doings can be found on her website: estellaelisheva.com and pictures from the Japan journey can be browsed on her Instagram account @estella.elisheva
Photo: From the left Shigekazu Yamada, Laura Linnaks, Sandra Sulin, Estella Elisheva, Aivar Surva and Mari Jürjens. (Harmony Fields/ Kazuhiro Kamio)
From Estonian musicians, besides Estella Elisheva and Sandra Serena Sulin on the Japan tour and Estonian Music Day there was also the actress and singer Mari Jürjens (earlier Pokinen), and composer and musician Aivar Surva. Previously, via Harmony Fields there have been many other Estonian artists performing in Japan – for example the folk musician and singer Mari Kalkun and the folkband Trad.Attack!
NordenBladet – Their performance is a bit weaker than that of other children in elementary school, and somewhat fewer students complete upper secondary school. Compared to their parents, the difference is considerable. Many Norwegian-born persons with immigrant backgrounds are also doing far better financially than their parents. Some earn more than other Norwegians.
Children born in Norway to two immigrant parents constitute 3.4 per cent of the Norwegian population today. In 1970, that figure was only 0.06 per cent.
Statistics Norway has released an updated report for which they gathered figures, facts and research on this new population group.
Have the children of immigrants integrated into Norwegian society? Or do they remain outsiders?
Almost 180 000 immigrant children In 2019, almost 180 000 people in Norway are the children of two immigrant parents.
Most of them are still children and adolescents. Only 14 per cent are older than 25, but this group has now become so large that statistics and research can tell us a great deal about how the integration of immigrants into Norwegian society is going.
Children of two immigrants in Norway who are 25 or older often have parents with backgrounds from Pakistan, Vietnam, Turkey, India, Morocco or Chile.
The children of other large immigrant groups in Norway – Poles, Somalis, Lithuanians, Iraqis and Afghans – are still mostly younger.
School results Children of immigrants do somewhat worse than children of Norwegian-born parents in primary school. Slightly fewer complete upper secondary education, according to education statistics.
However, the leap in education is still huge for many immigrant children, when compared with their parents’ education. Children with parents from Sri Lanka and Vietnam achieve the top school results, despite the fact that many of these parents have had very little education themselves.
Many choose college prep Fully 76 per cent of children with two immigrant parents who start upper secondary school choose college preparatory programmes. Among other teens, 64 per cent select that route.
Almost half of the immigrant children in the 25 to 40 year age group now have attained higher education, which is roughly equivalent to the rest of the population.
Among immigrant parents who only have a primary school education, 35 per cent of their children continue their education to university or college level. For the rest of the Norwegian population, the corresponding proportion is only 19 per cent.
Norwegian social scientists who have studied this topic refer to these immigrants and their children as having educational drive.
Children of immigrants from China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and India are especially likely to pursue university or other higher education. Many immigrant children choose majors in economics and administration. Social sciences, law, trades and technical subjects are also common. Teaching careers are about as common for this group as for the rest of the population.
Vietnamese earn well
Statistics Norway’s figures show notable differences in how many children of immigrants from different countries are found in the Norwegian labour market. Statistics Norway considers a person part of the labour force if her or his annual income approaches NOK 200 000 or more.
More Norwegian-born men and women between the ages of 25 and 40 with immigrant parents from Vietnam and India are employed than their Norwegian age peers without an immigrant background.
Today, 25 to 40 year old ethnic Vietnamese individuals born in Norway have a higher income on average than their age peers in the rest of the Norwegian population.
Many children of two immigrant parents have experience what social scientists call a class shift, or social mobility.
Chilean men earn the least Adults in the same age group with parents from Turkey, Pakistan, Chile and Morocco have fewer people in the work force than their age peers in the non-immigrant population.
Women with Turkish backgrounds are the least linked to Norwegian working life.
In terms of income, Norwegian-born men with backgrounds from Vietnam, India and Pakistan often earn well, and many run their own businesses.
Norwegian-born men with Turkish or Moroccan backgrounds earn significantly less. The lowest wage earners are men with Chilean backgrounds.
Among Norwegian-born women, those with immigrant backgrounds from India and Vietnam earn the most, while women with backgrounds from Turkey and Chile earn the least.
Do both men and women work? The available data is yielding steadily more information about marriage and cohabitation among the children of immigrants.
The rule among couples with Norwegian-born parents is that both partners tend to be employed. By contrast, Statistics Norway data shows considerable differences among adult children of immigrants in regards to whether both or just one partner works outside the home.
The lowest percentage of 25 to 40 year old couples with two working partners is found among Norwegian-born individuals with backgrounds from Turkey (53 per cent) and Pakistan (59 per cent). The highest percentage is among couples with backgrounds from India (86 per cent) and Vietnam (83 per cent).
NordenBladet – “People have felt on solid ground, and now they’re having the rug pulled out from under them,” says researcher Jan-Paul Brekke. The threat of losing their residence permit can be perceived as such a great burden that it affects immigrants’ health and participation in Norwegian society, according to a new report. Most people still end up being allowed to stay in Norway.
Even after many years in Norway, an immigrant with legal residence status may receive notification that she could lose her right to stay.
This was the situation for Amina from Afghanistan, who suddenly received a letter stating that the authorities were considering revoking her residence permit. She was interviewed for the recently published Norwegian research project.
“I thought – are they just going to take my permit away without even asking me? Can they just do that? It was very scary and gave me a sickening feeling,” Amina said.
Tough experience The letter from the authorities affects two groups. One group includes those who have a residence permit or citizenship that the authorities suspect was granted on a faulty basis – due to fraudulent or inadequate information.
The second group consists of refugees whose country of origin has sufficiently improved conditions, so that authorities consider it safe for the refugees to return.
Jan-Paul Brekke of the Norwegian Institute for Social Research led a project commissioned by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) to study how the intensified review of residence permits and citizenship is affecting immigrant communities. The report was presented in June.
“It’s a tough experience. These are people who have a residence permit and then lose it. They feel like they’re having the rug pulled out from under them,” Brekke says.
Uncertainty may create health problems The researchers interviewed 27 immigrants from Afghanistan and Somalia who have been affected in one way or another by the revocation of their right to live in Norway.
Individuals who received the letter don’t know whether they’ll be able to stay in the country or even when they will receive an answer. All they know is that the authorities are reviewing their case, and it’s taking a long time.
Some people find that the uncertainty and waiting time have caused them serious health problems.
One man says that the content of the letter was so stressful for one relative that the relative was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. The researchers have not verified this information.
“Some people receiving this notification are in a fragile situation from before. The uncertainty is undoubtedly contributing to their stress,” says Brekke.
Losing motivation Immigrants also shared with the researchers that they are losing their motivation to build a future in Norway.
They ask themselves why they should bother to learn the language, work, or send their children to kindergarten if they could be sent home at any time.
Ayaan, a woman in her 30s from Somalia, has had a residence permit for seven years.
“I had the aim of completing primary school … and this has affected my capacity to concentrate … so that’s a pity. I had a dream to get a permanent job, but now I am less motivated to apply for a job … it’s hard. And I had ambitions about getting a driver’s license, but that’s difficult without a residence permit,” she says.
Now she is afraid of losing her permit, even though she hadn’t received a letter from the authorities as of her interview with the researchers.
Norwegian-Somalis with Norwegian citizenship had been citizens for an average of five to ten years when their cases were opened, according to statistics from the UDI from March 2017 to December 2018. Some have been citizens for over 20 years.
Cases involving revocation of citizenship were put on hold pending a political decision as to whether or not these cases should be dealt with by the courts in future.
During this period, about 2,500 Somali cases and 500 Afghan cases of all types were handled. Approximately every fourth case was finalized.
Of these, three out of four cases were dismissed.
The researchers estimate that for half of the Somalis, the processing time is at least 15 months. Most of them are eventually allowed to stay, sometimes even if the authorities conclude that their country of origin has become safe to return to.
“This may be because children have been in Norway for a long time or because we think that girls should not be sent back to Somalia because there is a risk of female genital mutilation,” says Hanne Jendal, director of UDI’s Asylum Department.
Risk of poorer integration In the meantime, immigrants have lost valuable years as part of Norwegian society, the researchers believe.
“Integration is on hold. The cost for Norway is that we risk poorer integration for those who are affected,” says Brekke.
He believes the authorities must consider these costs against the current practices in regulating immigration.
The UDI has renewed temporary residence permits for people waiting to hear whether they need to leave because their country of origin has become safe, “so they can continue their life here even if they have the threat of cessation hanging over their heads – and I realize that’s a huge burden,” says Jendal.
She points out that reviewing cases for cessation when the situation in the home country has changed is a task the Asylum Department has been given.
Consequences of a strict policy The process of revoking a residence permit is a result of tightening the asylum policy in the wake of 2015, the year when many refugees came to Norway.
“Now we’re seeing the consequences of a strict policy for those who are affected,” says Brekke.
The immigrants who were interviewed deal with the uncertainty in different ways. Some are trying to continue their everyday lives as normally as possible and just deal with the fear of being deported.
Others give up their long-term dreams for the future and focus on short-term planning.
Some prepare for everything while others are paralyzed and unable to prepare for anything.
Life put on hold The researchers believe the long processing time is unfortunate.
Waiting for a response from the immigration authorities not only affects the person whose case is up for review. The UDI does not process applications from others in the family while one family member’s case is being considered. Many individuals’ lives are thus put on hold.
“The whole process grinds to a halt for both the individual and the other family members,” Brekke says.
Norwegian-Somalis are the group most affected by the revocation process.
“It’s easy to imagine the anxiety spreading among Somalis in Norway that any one of them could lose their residence permit,” he adds.
Improve communication Since most immigrants end up being allowed to remain in Norway, Brekke wonders whether the authorities have set an unwieldy process in motion with little output at the other end.
“For a lot of people, the long wait is filled with uncertainty – and then nothing changes,” he says.
Brekke acknowledges that the authorities need to have a system to ensure that application information is correct. But, he says, they have to improve the system, make it faster and communicate better so people understand what they’re facing.
“We recognize that there are clearly areas where we need to improve,” says Jendal from UDI.
She says that the UDI takes the report recommendations seriously and is already working on improving the available information. Currently, the Directorate has had three informational meetings for individuals who have been notified that they may have to leave Norway.
She can’t promise that the case processing time will get shorter right away.
“Ideally, we’d like to be able to process these cases faster. But the caseload is enormous, and we have limited resources, which is regrettable,” says Jendal.
She won’t comment on whether she thinks politicians should increase resources to the Directorate in order to do the job faster. The report encourages such an increase.
The researchers also recommend that the authorities commit to deadlines so that immigrants at least know what they can expect during the review of their case and when they will be informed of the outcome.
“We are working hard to be clear with the users about how long they’ll have to wait to get an answer,” Jendal says.
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Reference: Jan-Paul Brekke, Simon Roland Birkvad and Marta Bivand Erdal: Losing the Right to Stay. Revocation of immigrant residence permits and citizenship in Norway – Experiences and effects. Department of Social Research, report 2019: 9.
Featured image is illustrative. (Pexels)
Source: forskning.no
NordenBladet – The GDP of Norway ranks as the second largest in the world. Back in 2017, Norway’s GDP registered as 74,571 USD and 2018 by Worls Bank report Norway was the richest.
By looking at the GDP per capita, or gross domestic product per capita, of each country around the globe, it is possible to rank countries based on wealth and then compare them to each other. From there, you can determine which countries are wealthiest and then list the countries in descending order, from richest to poorest. Here is the conclusive list of the top fifty richest countries in the world, starting with the wealthiest country… (The Nordic countries are highlighted in blod letters)
TOP50
1. Luxembourg (GDP per capita: $119,719) 2. Norway (GDP per capita: $86,362)
3. Switzerland (GDP per capita: $83,832)
4. Ireland (GDP per capita: $81,477) 5. Iceland (GDP per capita: $78,181)
6. Qatar (GDP per capita: $65,062)
7. The United States of America (GDP per capita: $64,906) 8. Denmark (GDP per capita: $63,434)
9. Singapore (GDP per capita: $62,690)
10. Australia (GDP per capita: $58,824) 11. Sweden (GDP per capita: $57,945)
12. The Netherlands (GDP per capita: $56,415)
13. Austria (GDP per capita: $54,606) 14. Finland (GDP per capita: $52,320)
15. Germany (GDP per capita: $51,642)
16. Hong Kong (GDP per capita: $50,216)
17. Belgium (GDP per capita: $49,095)
18. Canada (GDP per capita: $48,604)
19. France (GDP per capita: $45,586)
20. The United Kingdom (GDP per capita: $45,491)
21. Japan (GDP per capita: $41,834)
22. The United Arab Emirates (GDP per capita: $38,961)
23. Italy (GDP per capita: $36,061)
24. Korea (GDP per capita: $33,495)
25. Spain (GDP per capita: $33,151)
26. Puerto Rico (GDP per capita: $32,705)
27. Malta (GDP per capita: $32,130)
28. Brunei (GDP per capita: $30,297)
29. Cyprus (GDP per capita: $29,224)
30. Kuwait (GDP per capita: $28,394)
31. Slovenia (GDP per capita: $28,247)
32. Taiwan (GDP per capita: $26,309)
33. Bahrain (GDP per capita: $26,083)
34. The Czech Republic (GDP per capita: $25,468)
35. Portugal (GDP per capita: $24,312) 36. Estonia (GDP per capita: $24,043)
37. Saudi Arabia (GDP per capita: $22,368)
38. Slovakia (GDP per capita: $21,278)
39. Greece (GDP per capita: $21,274) 40. Lithuania (GDP per capita: $20,644) 41. Latvia (GDP per capita: $18,861)
42. Trinidad and Tobago (GDP per capita: $18,018)
43. Uruguay (GDP per capita: $17,772)
44. Oman (GDP per capita: $17,668)
45. Chile (GDP per capita: $16,914)
46. Hungary (GDP per capita: $16,852)
47. Poland (GDP per capita: $16,782)
48. Panama (GDP per capita: $16,576)
49. Croatia (GDP per capita: $15,878)
50. Romania (GDP per capita: $13,229)
Location is a major main player in the overall wealth of a country. Third-world countries in Asia, for example, do not rank very well when GDP is the variable in consideration. If access to certain items and necessities is restricted, then people are already working with a strong disadvantage. Places that are not war-stricken or already burdened with a less-than-ideal economy are not set up to do well in the competition of gross domestic products between countries.
This is why, when looking at the list of the wealthiest countries in the world, you’ll find that places where trade or massive production is a main source of income rank higher on the list. The poorer countries are less involved in global trading, and they are more independent in the sense that their direct involvement in international affairs is lesser than the wealthier countries. This is because money and power are so naturally interwoven, which contributes to the overall wealth and GDP of a country.
Featured image: Vågan, Norway (Pexels/Tobias Bjørkli)
NordenBladet – Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway has made promoting literature one of her main causes and now she’s publishing a book to help raise the profile of Norwegian arts. The Crown Princess is behind a collection of writing that will hit the shelves in September.
Mette-Marit will co-edit a selection of twelve stories and essays which will be published just ahead of the famous Frankfurt Book Fair. This year, Norway is the main contributing country at the event which is billed as the ‘most important marketplace’ in the world for print and digital publishing.
The book, which has the working title of ‘The Home Country and Other Narratives’ will feature work by authors selected by Crown Princess Mette-Marit and her co-editor, Geir Gulliksen. Among those chosen by the pair are Vigdis Hjorth and Dag Solstad. The company publishing the book, Aschenoug, says that the editors have picked writers whose work they value highly and all the pieces in the tome will be new and previously unseen.
It’s understood that any money earned by Crown Princess Mette-Marit by the book will be donated to charity although which organisations will benefit hasn’t yet been confirmed.
The Crown Princess has long shown her support for literature and promoting reading. She has hosted a ‘literature train’ event through Norway for several years, travelling by rail to different destinations for a week to encourage others to pick up books and to discuss Norwegian writing. This year, she hosted her first ‘literature metro’ where she used the underground system in Oslo to promote reading across Norway’s capital.
Mette-Marit once said she couldn’t imagine life without books, adding ‘ever since I was a child, I have been read to and given the opportunity to enter a world of fantasy’ and she says that reading has made her ‘a better, wiser and more thoughtful person’.
It’s a message she wants to share on an international stage as she prepares to head to Frankfurt for the book fair. The Crown Princess has played a high profile part in the build up to Norway’s big moment at the event and she is expected to travel to Germany in October for the fair itself. In the meantime, her debut as a literary editor will make its way to the shops as another part of her ongoing campaign to boost reading and a love of books.
NordenBladet – The Danish Royal Court announced on 1 July that Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary will lead a Danish business delegation during an official business visit to Paris, France on 7 and 8 October 2019. The theme of the visit is “Denmark and France – together for a better life and a sustainable future”.
The purpose of the visit is to strengthen relations between Denmark and France and support Danish companies’ growth and position in the French market. This is a continuation of the work that took place during the French State Visit to Denmark in August 2018. France is an important trading partner for Denmark, and in 2018 the country was the eighth largest export market for Danish goods and services.
According to the Danish Royal Court: “The aim of the business promotion is to create a platform for concrete future collaborations that will develop and adapt sustainable and innovative solutions to common challenges. The program includes, among other things, the holding of seminars on wind energy investments, urban development, the achievement of the World Goals (SDG), health and company visits to some of France’s largest companies, and to hospitals and infrastructure projects that match Danish competencies.”
The program of the visit has not been announced yet but it will focus on three sectors: healthcare with a focus on elder care, smart hospitals, and life science; Energy and Sustainable Cities with a focus on wind energy, district heating, and cooling and intelligent and sustainable Cities as well as sustainable lifestyles with a focus on fashion, design, and furniture.
The Court also announced that Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary will take part in the opening of a business conference, attend seminars and visit major French companies and hospitals. They will also host a reception for Danish and French companies and organizations among other guests. Prince Joachim and Princess Marie might take part in the reception as they will be living in Paris by then but this will not be confirmed by the Court until closer to the visit.
Featured image: Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary (Instagram/@detdanskekongehus)
NordenBladet – Crown Prince Haakon was present at the opening of the General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union in Norway on Thursday. This year, the Norwegian state owned TV-channel NRK is host to the meeting in Oslo.
The Crown Prince was the one to welcome the European Broadcasting to Norway. The Crown Prince also shared some of his TV-memories from when he was a child. Crown Prince Haakon said: “When I was a kid, we had only one Norwegian TV channel: the NRK. I must admit that some Saturday evenings with my family, gathered in front of the TV, could be a small challenge. My interests and wishes and what was that evening’s entertainment was not always in sync. We watched the weirdest of shows. Still, all of us did it – and we did it together. And the day after, when we went to school or work, everyone else had seen the same.”
The Crown Prince also addressed the changes that have taken place in recent years and the commercialization of the TV industry. Crown Prince Haakon said: “Many things have changed since those days. Technology is transformed. The media landscape is obviously very different. Today in Norway we have TV2, handheld devices and, of course, the internet.”
To many people’s surprise, the Crown Prince also commented on the new existence of fake news, saying: “The truth, the reality, can be uncomfortable. Public service media is in many ways the antidote to fake news. As you all know, today, trust is a scarce resource, a most valuable means. And when we doubt, relevance diminishes, and we turn to something else. Perhaps to fake news, not the real news. Which is why we need the independent public service media even more – committed to the truth and to high journalistic standards.”
Following the speech, EBU’s President and BBC Director General Tony Hall invited Netflix Chief Reed Hastings to an open discussion. They talked about the future of TV. The European Broadcasting Union is the world’s leading organization for public broadcasters with 117 members from 56 countries.
The organization also has 34 associated members from Asia, Australia, Africa and America. The event in Oslo has a lot of support with more registered broadcasters than ever.
Featured image: Crown Prince Haakon (Instagram/@crownprincessmm)
