Statistics Norway

Persons with refugee background

1 Different definitions of persons with refugee status1, by country background and specified status. 1 January 2011
Country background Persons with refugee background1 Principal applicants By family connection to principal applicant2
Total Total Asylum
seekers3
Resettlement
refugees4
Other 5 Unspecified Total Family reunification and
accompanying person
Marriage
establishment
Unspecified
Total  157 692  114 760 71 744 23 784 10 447 8 785 42 932 29 242 13 638 52
Western Europe, except Turkey  592  365  146 9 12  198  227  157 70 -
Eastern Europe 32 850 28 110 15 540  934 10 370 1 266 4 740 1 968 2 770 2
Asia with Turkey 79 665 54 591 30 967 17 902 35 5 687 25 074 16 914 8 110 50
Africa 38 626 27 350 21 853 4 688 22  787 11 276 9 063 2 213 -
North America, Oceania  179 97 28 1 4 64 82 56 26 -
South and Central America 5 780 4 247 3 210  250 4  783 1 533 1 084  449 -
Selected countries                    
Iraq 20 370 13 037 8 926 3 721 18  372 7 333 6 055 1 232 46
Somalia 18 884 11 925 11 389  291 16  229 6 959 6 360  599 -
Iran 12 338 10 215 5 113 4 693 4  405 2 123 1 042 1 079 2
Bosnia- Herzegovina 12 109 11 134 1 354  149 9 504  127  975  307  667 1
Vietnam 11 559 8 565  871 3 859 2 3 833 2 994 1 574 1 420 -
Afghanistan 10 127 7 215 5 640 1 443 4  128 2 912 2 361  551 -
Kosovo 8 529 7 098 6 312  116  639 31 1 431  432  998 1
Sri Lanka 7 183 4 090 3 655  103 2  330 3 093 1 480 1 613 -
Eritrea 6 152 5 372 4 970  307 - 95  780  567  213 -
Russia 4 905 4 415 4 221 76 8  110  490  326  164 -
Chile 4 793 3 573 2 754  145 1  673 1 220  912  308 -
Ethiopia 3 777 2 748 2 037  593 2  116 1 029  721  308 -
Burma 2 885 2 575  118 2 438 - 19  310  270 40 -
Palestinian Territory 2 745 1 488 1 412 61 1 14 1 257 1 194 62 1
Turkey 2 670  963  859 28 - 76 1 707 1 087  620 -
Pakistan 1 903  947  804 29 -  114  956  585  371 -
Croatia 1 802 1 491 1 094  277  103 17  311  188  123 -
Congo 1 773 1 563  349 1 175 - 39  210  183 27 -
Poland 1 277  942  552  239 1  150  335  199  136 -
Syria 1 192  692  596 81 - 15  500  294  205 1
Sudan 1 156  973  584  379 - 10  183 98 85 -
Lebanon 1 132  785  738 23 - 24  347  146  201 -
Macedonia 1 059  754  693 4 31 26  305  110  195 -
Burundi  953  803  413  388 - 2  150  135 15 -
Liberia  887  807 81  722 2 2 80 70 10 -
China  822  602  482 79 - 41  220  130 90 -
Serbia  781  597  477 42 50 28  184 82  102 -
Hungary  575  526 36 2 -  488 49 15 34 -
India  538  251  163 36 - 52  287  135  152 -
Rwanda  523  442  195  226 - 21 81 62 19 -
Ghana  494  199  142 28 - 29  295  191  104 -
Algeria  476  260  220 21 - 19  216 88  128 -
Morocco  421  162 96 1 1 64  259 74  185 -
Thailand  417  291 31  203 3 54  126 56 70 -
Uganda  373  223  142 57 - 24  150 99 51 -
Philippines  359  259 26  147 - 86  100 53 47 -
Romania  348  183  153 12 - 18  165 80 85 -
Sierra Leone  338  258 98  153 - 7 80 43 37 -
Colombia  337  289  222 59 1 7 48 22 26 -
Kazakhstan  319  259  242 16 - 1 60 36 24 -
Cambodia  314  266 31  186 - 49 48 18 30 -
Kenya  305  194  128 52 - 14  111 72 39 -
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  The definition "Asylum seekers" refers to asylum cases or residence on humanitarian grounds.
4  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.
5  The definition "other" refers to refugees of war with families from mainly Bosnia Herzegovina who has been granted a collective assesment.

Explanation of symbols