Migration
Articles on migration.
Theme: A lost year for integration?
Will 2020 and perhaps even 2021 be lost years for integration of immigrants who have recently arrived in the Nordics? Will the consequences of the corona pandemic turn everything on its head?
Migration to the OECD nearly halved during Corona pandemic
As a result of the Corona pandemic, the number of migrants being granted visas and residence permits for an OECD country has fallen dramatically. During the first six months of 2020, the number fell by 46% compared to the same period last year, according to the OECD’s International Migration Outlook 2020.
Norway falling on integration index – or is it?
Over the past five years, Norway has lost its position among the top ten countries with the most inclusive and generous migration policy, according to MIPEX 2020. But what does that really mean?
Labour shortage for Nordic agriculture and forestry
As unemployment rises rapidly, many Nordic farmers worry how they will get hold of foreign seasonal workers. The hardest hit are gardens, strawberry farms and other agriculture.
A Norwegian NAV course seen through Latin American eyes
I remember the day the Norwegian Labor and Welfare Administration, (NAV), sent me that letter answering about a non-economic help I have applied weeks before, I needed to speak with a counsellor. I said I was a journalist and that I wished to find a job which would match fields of my competence, so I wanted to speak with someone.
Nordic students in Europe fall victim to physical land borders
An entire generation Nordic students have grown up in a borderless Europe. Thousands are studying in other European countries. Most went back home in March as old borders started being reinstated because of the coronavirus.
Norway finally joins dual citizenship club
Norway opened up for dual citizenship on 1 January 2020, not only as the last of the Nordics but as the last country in Europe. Ironically, not long after that, the borders closed because of the corona crisis.
A Monday in the service of the Nordics
Paula Lehtomäki heads the secretariat for the Nordic governments’ official body of cooperation. Yet she has no lifeguards, she cycles to work and gets on the train to open a conference.
The transnationals – when one country is not enough
“More and more people chose to be transnational. They don’t want to live in just one of two countries, but in both. This might not be a huge number of people, but they do represent a challenge for national welfare systems,” says Jørgen Carling. He has spent several years leading a research project looking at the phenomenon at Prio.
A gender change in the cleaning profession
Cleaning is about to become a male-dominated occupation. It used to be nearly exclusively women who worked the mop. Now men, especially those with an immigrant background, are taking over according to a report from the Oslo Institute for Social Research.
Far more labour migrants to Poland than Poles to Norway
For the second year running, Poland has received more labour migrants than any other OECD country. Meanwhile, fewer Poles travel to other European countries to work. This could lead to challenges for low-pay sectors in Nordic countries.
What are the critical issues for Nordic trade unions?
What goes on inside the head of a trade union leader? At the NFS congress in Malmö they were challenged to spend one minute to describe what they see as the greatest challenge going forward. Here are some of the answers:
Unique study compares how Denmark, Norway and Sweden integrate refugees
Who is best out of Denmark, Norway and Sweden at integrating refugees into their labour market? The answer depends at what stage after the refugees’ arrival you measure the success. Refugees to Denmark find jobs faster, but in the longer run more refugees get jobs in Sweden than in Denmark. Norway is the clear winner when it comes to integrating female refugees.
Statistics Sweden: new statistics on how different immigrant groups manage in the Nordics
Statistics Sweden (SCB) and its Nordic opposites have begun producing comparable statistics on how immigrants manage in the labour market, divided into country of origin.
Newly arrived immigrant women – more than a labour market project?
682,948 non-western immigrants arrived in the Nordic region between 2010 and 2015. The aim is to integrate as many of them as possible into the labour market. The challenge is greatest for female refugees, who often face discrimination in their native countries and again risk being discriminated against in their new home country.
OECD: More flexibility needed to get female refugees into work
There is a need for more flexible measures to integrate newly arrived refugee women in the Nordic region, according to the OECD. Research shows that after years of fleeing, birth rates increase dramatically. When women feel safe, they have children – but that also makes it difficult for them to benefit from labour market introduction programmes.
Nordic focus on getting more newly arrived women into work
To succeed in getting more newly arrived women into work, the Nordic countries need more employment measures, an increased focus on childcare and documented results from measures, according to a new study.
Project Mirjam tackles prejudices about and in the Swedish labour market
Project Mirjam targets women with low levels of education who have been granted asylum or residency in Sweden. It is considerably harder for them to find work compared to men in a similar situation, but guidance focused on work and gender equality produces results.
The inequality pain threshold has been reached
The inequality pain threshold has been reached. The OECD now wants the world to think again about what the term economic growth should entail.
Challenging globalisation’s winners: The OECD wants to bridge the divides
The OECD’s Stefano Scarpetta calls the new narrative a paradigm shift. We must change the ideas which have created an increasing gap between rich and poor, says Secretary-General Angel Gurría: Economic growth is not enough, we need a new vision for inclusive and sustainable development. The social dimension broke through clearly at the OECD Forum 2017.
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