Statistics Norway

Persons with refugee background

1 Different definitions of persons with refugee status1, by country background and specified status. 1 January 2010
Country background Persons with refugee background1 Principal applicants By family connection to principal applicant2
Total Total Asylum seekers5 Resettlement refugees3 other 4 Unspecified total Family reunification and accompanying person Marriage establishment Unspecified
Total  151 066  109 560 67 309 22 867 10 530 8 854 41 506 28 200 13 270 36
Western Europe, except Turkey  585  360  141 9 12  198  225  154 71 .
Eastern Europe 32 882 28 228 15 540  938 10 453 1 297 4 654 1 971 2 682 1
Asia with Turkey 76 670 52 320 29 274 17 301 35 5 710 24 350 16 386 7 929 35
Africa 34 939 24 293 19 107 4 369 22  795 10 646 8 544 2 102 -
North America, Oceania  180  100 29 1 4 66 80 55 25 -
South and Central America 5 810 4 259 3 218  249 4  788 1 551 1 090  461 -
Selected countries                    
Iraq 19 768 12 633 8 631 3 610 18  374 7 135 5 946 1 155 34
Somalia 17 665 10 905 10 409  249 16  231 6 760 6 201  559 -
Bosnia- Herzegovina 12 166 11 226 1 362  150 9 585  129  940  302  637 1
Iran 12 067 9 957 4 984 4 562 4  407 2 110 1 031 1 078 1
Vietnam 11 609 8 612  879 3 882 2 3 849 2 997 1 572 1 425 -
Afghanistan 8 912 6 180 4 659 1 388 4  129 2 732 2 254  478 -
Kosovo 8 538 7 133 6 346  116  639 32 1 405  436  969 -
Sri Lanka 7 159 4 062 3 633 97 2  330 3 097 1 478 1 619 -
Russia 4 833 4 356 4 162 76 8  110  477  322  155 -
Chile 4 830 3 591 2 767  146 1  677 1 239  920  319 -
Eritrea 4 460 3 907 3 638  174 . 95  553  358  195 -
Ethiopia 3 426 2 505 1 816  569 2  118  921  636  285 -
Turkey 2 669  958  859 23 . 76 1 711 1 091  620 -
Burma 2 641 2 351  101 2 231 . 19  290  253 37 -
Palestinian Territory 2 438 1 424 1 365 44 1 14 1 014  975 39 -
Pakistan 1 883  948  802 30 .  116  935  568  367 -
Croatia 1 803 1 498 1 099  277  105 17  305  188  117 -
Congo 1 697 1 505  327 1 139 . 39  192  167 25 -
Poland 1 285  949  558  241 1  149  336  200  136 -
Syria 1 139  649  564 70 . 15  490  287  203 -
Lebanon 1 125  780  734 22 . 24  345  140  205 -
Macedonia 1 053  750  689 4 31 26  303  110  193 -
Burundi  936  798  408  389 . 1  138  123 15 -
Sudan  920  742  429  304 . 9  178 97 81 -
Liberia  878  803 80  719 2 2 75 67 8 -
Serbia  760  590  469 42 50 29  170 77 93 -
China  710  499  379 79 . 41  211  125 86 -
Hungary  597  548 37 2 .  509 49 15 34 -
India  540  254  165 36 . 53  286  134  152 -
Rwanda  508  438  193  224 . 21 70 51 19 -
Ghana  493  202  143 29 . 30  291  187  104 -
Algeria  479  262  222 21 . 19  217 92  125 -
Morocco  415  161 96 . 1 64  254 73  181 -
Thailand  406  283 31  196 3 53  123 54 69 -
Uganda  363  223  138 59 . 26  140 93 47 -
Philippines  361  262 27  150 . 85 99 52 47 -
Romania  358  188  158 12 . 18  170 85 85 -
Sierra Leone  339  262  100  154 . 8 77 41 36 -
Colombia  339  291  224 59 1 7 48 22 26 -
Kazakhstan  317  258  243 14 . 1 59 35 24 -
Cambodia  312  268 31  187 . 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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