– I dream of a job “offshore”. I want a job that pays as well as possible, so I can support my family. 16-year-old Mohamed Alkhalil sits in the living room with his family and talks about the future. He goes to secondary school in Bergen, but as an eight-year-old he came to Norway together with his father Lazkeen Ibrahim Alkhalil. They were two of almost 12,000 people who fled the civil war in Syria and sought asylum in Norway in 2015 and 2016. Mohamed is studying engineering and industrial subjects at the secondary school level and wants a job “out in the North Sea” Photo: Synne Sørenes / news Then Norway experienced the largest wave of refugees since the wars in the Balkans in the 1990s. SSB has now published a completely new report on how the refugees who came during that time have fared. The figure shows that only 51 per cent of those who came from Syria had a job in 2022. The figure for the entire Norwegian population was 71 per cent in the same year. – It is difficult to come to a new country as an adult. You have to learn the language and get an education. One is completely dependent on education here, says father Lazkeen. The figures also show that 18–19 per cent of the Syrian refugees received an education in 2022. – Difficult to get a job without a vocational certificate news followed Lazkeen and Mohamed when they first came to Norway in 2015. In the series “The reception” you got to see how they experienced lived in asylum reception and what it was like when mother, sister and brother finally got a residence permit in Norway after 14 months apart. – When I realized that I had to flee, Norway was what I wanted to go to. It was safe here, with good pupils, says Lazkeen today. In Syria, he had several different jobs, including delivering soft drinks to companies and selling furniture. But in Norway, the path to working life became more difficult, especially without education. Now he has just finished primary school education, while his wife is in her final year. – I really want to work and I don’t want to give up. But it is difficult to get a job without a vocational certificate or similar. In addition, I struggle with back pain, he says. Lazkeen and his son Mohamed were sent from Bergen to a reception in Hitra. Now they have been granted a residence permit – but can they move back to Bergen? Fewer in work than other groups State Secretary Kjetil Vevle (Ap) in the Ministry of Labor and Inclusion says they have a clear expectation that all refugees should integrate quickly, learn the language and get into work. – The goal is for everyone to support themselves. We must constantly look at how we can make the transition to work easier. During the spring, we will deliver both an integration notification and a labor market notification, he says. There were also refugees from other countries in 2015 and 2016, although Syrians were by far the largest group at 46 per cent. How many were resettled in 2015/2016 Figures from 2022 show how many refugees were resettled in Norway in 2015 and 2016. A total of 25,928 were resettled. 11,919 (46 per cent) from Syria 4,795 (18.5 per cent) from Eritrea 2,299 (8.9 per cent) from Afghanistan 6,915 (26.6 per cent) from other countries Figures from Statistics Norway show that employment is higher in the other groups. Looking at all the refugees together, the employment rate is 57.8 per cent. The refugees from Eritrea stood out, where 75 percent are in work. – It is difficult to point to certain reasons for the skewed distribution. What I know is that everyone has different starting points when they come to Norway. Health, education and the reason why one has to flee varies from person to person, says Vevle. Employment is increasing for all groups. You can also see an increase for the Syrians, but he is somewhat weaker than for the 2015/2016 litter overall. – Both the proportion of employed people and the proportion with full-time jobs increase with business hours, explains Bjørn Olsen in Statistics Norway. More in education Statistics Norway’s figures also show that far more of the Syrian refugees received an education in 2022, compared to the other groups. – That can probably explain something, but when we add up the shares in work and in education, there will still be some difference, says Olsen in SSB. – Syrian women stand out as the group that is to the greatest extent in education. It is an important investment for the individual and for society, and in line with good Norwegian integration policy, says Vevle. Mohamed’s parents say they are proud of what their son achieves and the dreams he has for working life. Photo: Synne Sørenes / news In Bergen, Mohamed attends the technical and industrial subjects course at secondary school. In addition, he works part-time at a shop and restaurant. – It is easier for young people. He learned the language quickly and understands the system. For us older people, it is not as simple, says father Lazkeen. He thinks it would have been easier if things went faster in Norway. – It can take a long time to get a place to live or start teaching Norwegian. Everything takes time. For example, I applied for citizenship two years ago. We are still waiting for an answer, he says and adds: – But this is very important: We are glad we came to Norway. Here it is free and safe. Here you can say what you want. What is it called? – Freedom of expression, says Mohamed and gives a thumbs up.
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51 percent in work in 2022 – news Vestland
