Statistics Norway

Persons with refugee background

1 Different definitions of persons with refugee status1, by country background and specified status. 1 January 2009
Country background Persons with refugee background1 Principal applicants By family connection to principal applicant2
Total Total Asylum seekers5 Resettlement refugees3 other4 Unspecified total Family reunification and accompanying person Marriage establishment
Total  143 355  104 039 62 963 21 559 10 608 8 909 39 316 26 603 12 713
Rest of Western Europe, except Turkey  589  357  138 9 12  198  232  161 71
Eastern Europe 32 644 28 185 15 396  943 10 529 1 317 4 459 1 923 2 536
Asia with Turkey 72 471 49 274 27 286 16 216 36 5 736 23 197 15 537 7 660
Afrika 31 650 21 853 16 893 4 139 23  798 9 797 7 834 1 963
North America, Oceania  171  101 29 1 4 67 70 50 20
South and Central America 5 830 4 269 3 221  251 4  793 1 561 1 098  463
                   
Selected countries                  
Iraq 18 698 11 996 8 298 3 306 18  374 6 702 5 678 1 024
Somalia 16 724 10 349 9 869  233 16  231 6 375 5 863  512
Bosnia- Herzegovina 12 204 11 312 1 365  154 9 663  130  892  290  602
Iran 11 819 9 752 4 819 4 522 4  407 2 067 1 008 1 059
Vietnam 11 664 8 654  885 3 894 2 3 873 3 010 1 579 1 431
Kosovo 8 457 7 129 6 346  116  634 33 1 328  424  904
Afghanistan 7 692 5 189 3 727 1 331 4  127 2 503 2 113  390
Sri Lanka 7 107 4 008 3 590 81 2  335 3 099 1 487 1 612
Chile 4 851 3 603 2 774  147 1  681 1 248  927  321
Russia 4 672 4 220 4 025 76 8  111  452  311  141
Eritrea 2 988 2 532 2 344 93 . 95  456  264  192
Ethiopia 2 955 2 178 1 551  505 2  120  777  517  260
Turkey 2 666  957  856 24 . 77 1 709 1 089  620
Burma 2 332 2 088 89 1 980 . 19  244  208 36
Pakistan 1 862  937  792 29 .  116  925  570  355
Croatia 1 799 1 499 1 101  276  105 17  300  187  113
Palestinian Territory 1 756 1 067 1 044 8 1 14  689  659 30
Congo 1 631 1 477  317 1 120 . 40  154  131 23
Poland 1 300  959  564  243 1  151  341  204  137
Lebanon 1 126  779  734 21 . 24  347  136  211
Syria 1 088  618  544 59 . 15  470  272  198
Macedonia 1 048  752  691 4 31 26  296  109  187
Burundi  883  792  404  387 . 1 91 83 8
Liberia  864  803 80  719 2 2 61 53 8
Sudan  789  634  358  267 . 9  155 85 70
Serbia  738  584  462 42 51 29  154 75 79
China  667  460  344 76 . 40  207  121 86
Hungary  612  561 36 2 .  523 51 15 36
India  533  246  165 28 . 53  287  131  156
Rwanda  501  429  192  216 . 21 72 55 17
Ghana  495  201  143 28 . 30  294  189  105
Algeria  472  265  220 26 . 19  207 85  122
Morocco  407  165  100 . 1 64  242 67  175
Philippines  362  262 27  150 . 85  100 52 48
Uganda  359  225  139 59 . 27  134 90 44
Romania  356  187  157 12 . 18  169 84 85
Colombia  341  292  225 59 1 7 49 22 27
Sierra Leone  335  262  101  153 . 8 73 40 33
Thailand  329  204 30  118 4 52  125 55 70
Kazakhstan  312  253  238 14 . 1 59 35 24
Cambodia  307  263 31  182 . 50 44 15 29
1  The definition "person with refugee background" refers to persons resident in Norway, who have come to Norway because of flight (family included). Children born in Norway by persons with refugee background are not included.
2  Residence or work permit granted to close family members of a foreign with legal residence in Norway. This also applies to family members of Norwegian citizens. Family reunification mainly applies to spouses and children under 18 years of age.
3  Refugees who are permitted to come to Norway following an organised selection, normally in conjunction with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In accordance with a proposal from the government, the parliament sets an annual quota for the number of resettlement refugees to be received by Norway.
4  The definition "other" refers to refugees of war with families from mainly Bosnia Herzegovina who has been granted a collective assesment.
5  The definition "Asylum seekers" refers to asylum cases or residence on humanitarian grounds.

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