– Everyone wants to be counted, but in a way I am not counted in Norwegian society, says Ismail Abuukar. The 46-year-old from Somalia is standing in the kitchen at home in Akkarfjord in Hammerfest municipality in Finnmark, preparing a packed lunch. Ismail Abuukar has acquired a good life in Akkarfjord in Hammerfest. But it is a sliver of joy to not be able to participate fully in society. Photo: Hanne Larsen / news His wife of 23 years, Eirin Hansen Abuukar, works in the police and sits in her home office this day. Together they have four children. Ismail is an intensive care nurse at Finnmark Hospital and will soon be on evening duty. He divides his time between the intensive care unit in Hammerfest and the air ambulance service in Alta. – I enjoy my job so much, he says. But behind the white smile lies a feeling of not being good enough. Problematic without a Norwegian passport Because although Ismail received a permanent residence permit in Norway in 2001 due to the war in Somalia, he has not been granted Norwegian citizenship. As a result, he does not get a Norwegian passport or Norwegian ID card either. He has had challenges with getting a loan and holding a bank card. Ismail cannot vote in elections. He has a Somali passport, but it is not valid in Norway. Ismail and Eirin have been together for 23 years and have four children together. They support each other through thick and thin. Photo: Hanne Larsen / news When his father died at home in Somalia, Ismail could not travel down to the funeral. Nor can he visit his mother, who is ill, or take part in work trips with colleagues. A few years ago, the son wanted his father to take him on a football trip to England. Ismail could not fulfill that wish. – It may be a trifle, but the sum of all these things makes you feel a sense of humiliation and a feeling of being left out, says the 46-year-old. The humiliation was also great when he took part in an emergency mission to Svalbard with the air ambulance. Without a passport, Ismail could not get off the plane. – I just want to be able to do my job and save lives, without unnecessary obstacles, he says. Lie about identity Ismail has been refused citizenship three times because the Norwegian authorities do not know who he is, according to the Directorate of Immigration (UDI). When Ismail fled Somalia to the Netherlands as a 17-year-old, he lied about who he was. He lied again when, after a few years, he moved on to Norway. Ismail has completed an education and works both as an intensive care nurse at Hammerfest Hospital and at the air ambulance in Alta. Photo: Hanne Larsen / news He himself says that he was afraid of being sent back. – I didn’t know any better and had been advised that I shouldn’t say my real name. This was wrong on my part, but it is human to err, he says. Successful for the Iraqis There are currently around 400 Somalis in Norway with an unclear identity. These are people who have a residence permit, and where most work and pay tax. The Norwegian organization for asylum seekers, Noas, wants the Norwegian authorities to give this group a helping hand. Requirements for Norwegian citizenship The main rule for obtaining Norwegian citizenship is that the applicant must fulfill the conditions according to section 7 first paragraph of the Nationality Act: “Everyone has the right to Norwegian citizenship after applying if the applicant at the time of decision: a) Has clarified his identity, cf. fifth paragraph, b ) Has reached the age of twelve, c) Is and will remain resident in the country, d) Meets the conditions for a permanent residence permit in section 62 of the Immigration Act. e) Has a total of seven years of residence in the country during the last ten years, with residence permits of at least duration of one year, stay in one or more application periods included in the seven-year period, cf. sixth paragraph, f) Meets the requirement for Norwegian training laid down in § 8, and g) has not been imposed a penalty or special criminal reaction or has endured a waiting period, cf. § 9. “The applicant does not fulfill the condition of having clarified his identity, cf. Section 7 of the Citizenship Act first”. Source: Directorate of Immigration In 2016, the government introduced an identity clarification program for Iraqis who have previously had their application for Norwegian citizenship rejected. In May this year, the program ended. The result is that around 1,000 Iraqis have had their identity confirmed after waiting for over 20 years. – Now we have to transfer the same positive experiences to the Somali group. These are Somalis who have lived in Norway for well over 20 years, says Jan Ole Martinsen, senior adviser at Noas. Jon Ole Martinsen is a senior adviser at the Norwegian organization for asylum seekers (Noas). Photo: news He says that the Somali group has loyally complied with the orders from the Norwegian authorities to obtain Somali passports. They have also proved that they are registered in the Somali population register. – They have done everything in their power to map their own identity, says Martinsen. The fact that the identity is unclear, he says, can be due to pure transcription errors, meaning that those who registered the refugee on arrival have written the name or date of birth incorrectly. Many young refugees have also received advice from “good helpers” to lie about who they are, he says. This doubt makes the Norwegian authorities hesitate to approve Somali documents. Deserves better Eirin Hansen Abuukar believes that her husband, after almost three decades, deserves to be taken fully into the warmth of Norwegian society. – He has completed an education, got a job, contributes to sports, is a co-judge in the district court. He is a contributor in every possible way. If Norway is to accept refugees, we are also obliged to give them the opportunity to participate in society, she says. – How should one distinguish those who tell a lie in a desperate moment, from those who want to commit criminal acts and hide behind a false identity? – Of course, Norway must be careful to check who comes and whether they have good intentions. Now Ismail came here as a very young man, and he has been here for 26 years without having done anything criminal, the wife points out. Ismail Abuukar and Eirin Hansen Abuukar live in the beautiful Akkarfjord outside Hammerfest. Photo: Hanne Larsen / news She adds that today there are opportunities to use both fingerprints and facial recognition, as well as DNA, to map identity. – Then this should be used to give these people their identity, so that they can acquire full lives. Both they and we as a society benefit from that, she says. – What if Ismail does not get Norwegian citizenship? – I believe that eventually it will be impossible to live without a digital ID. That means we have to consider moving from Norway to a country that has a different policy, she says. Evaluating the scheme State Secretary in the Ministry of Employment and Inclusion, Samra Akhtar, writes in an e-mail to news that she understands that it is demanding for people to live without citizenship. She still says that it is too early to assess now whether it is relevant to have a separate identity clarification program for Somalis, before the process with the Iraqis has been evaluated. Samra Akhtar (Ap) is state secretary in the Ministry of Employment and Inclusion. She will engage in dialogue with NOAS and UDI. Photo: Simen Gald Initially, Akhtar wants a more thorough dialogue with both Noas and UDI. Ismail hopes to become part of an identity clarification programme. He is willing to turn over every stone to be able to live a life without the handbrake on. – If I had something to hide, I would not open up about this. Yes, I made a mistake a long time ago, but how severe should the punishment be, he asks. Ismail Abuukar enjoys his job at Finnmarkssykehuset. Photo: Hanne Larsen / news
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26 years in Norway, but still without a Norwegian passport – news Troms and Finnmark
