Statistics Norway

Persons with refugee background

1 Different definitions of persons with refugee status1, by country background and specified status. 1 January 2012
Country background Persons with refugee background1. Total Principal applicants By family connection to principal applicant2 Unspecified
Total Asylum seekers3 Resettlement refugees4 other 5 Unspecified total Family reunification and accompanying person Marriage establishment
Total  163 480  119 060 75 354 24 614 10 361 8 731 44 420 30 176 14 192 52
Europe, of which: 33 466 28 358 15 683  941 10 297 1 437 5 108 2 125 2 981 2
EU/EEA 3 403 2 453 1 083  269 21 1 080  950  531  419 .
Countries not in EU/EEA 30 063 25 905 14 600  672 10 276  357 4 158 1 594 2 562 2
Africa 42 277 30 318 24 332 5 180 22  784 11 959 9 667 2 292 -
Asia with Turkey 81 830 56 077 32 127 18 244 35 5 671 25 753 17 252 8 451 50
North America, Oceania  180 97 28 1 4 64 83 59 24 -
South and Central America 5 727 4 210 3 184  248 3  775 1 517 1 073  444 -
                     
                     
Selected countries                    
Iraq 20 629 13 090 8 989 3 712 18  371 7 539 6 146 1 347 46
Somalia 20 063 12 919 12 318  358 16  227 7 144 6 531  613 .
Iran 12 749 10 549 5 280 4 861 4  404 2 200 1 067 1 131 2
Bosnia- Herzegovina 12 036 11 029 1 343  149 9 412  125 1 007  306  700 1
Vietnam 11 549 8 538  864 3 852 2 3 820 3 011 1 579 1 432 .
Afghanistan 10 945 7 886 6 230 1 523 4  129 3 059 2 431  628 .
Kosovo 8 558 7 059 6 270  116  642 31 1 499  433 1 065 1
Eritrea 7 661 6 585 6 054  436 . 95 1 076  843  233 .
Sri Lanka 7 208 4 107 3 667  106 2  332 3 101 1 466 1 635 .
Russia 4 961 4 453 4 261 75 8  109  508  330  178 .
Chile 4 750 3 541 2 731  143 1  666 1 209  906  303 .
Ethiopia 4 144 3 003 2 272  613 2  116 1 141  817  324 .
Burma 2 977 2 653  149 2 485 . 19  324  279 45 .
Palestinian Territory 2 905 1 534 1 454 65 1 14 1 371 1 290 80 1
Turkey 2 644  962  855 31 . 76 1 682 1 079  603 .
Pakistan 1 937  955  811 31 .  113  982  598  384 .
Congo 1 810 1 587  365 1 183 . 39  223  191 32 .
Croatia 1 799 1 485 1 090  275  103 17  314  186  128 .
Sudan 1 473 1 267  721  536 . 10  206  117 89 .
Poland 1 280  941  553  239 1  148  339  202  137 .
Syria 1 220  698  600 83 . 15  522  298  223 1
Lebanon 1 132  786  739 23 . 24  346  146  200 .
Macedonia 1 070  759  699 4 31 25  311  109  202 .
China  996  760  642 78 . 40  236  143 93 .
Burundi  983  815  413  400 . 2  168  149 19 .
Liberia  897  806 79  723 2 2 91 79 12 .
Serbia  791  600  476 42 54 28  191 81  110 .
Hungary  561  513 37 2 .  474 48 15 33 .
India  537  249  161 36 . 52  288  134  154 .
Rwanda  532  444  199  225 . 20 88 66 22 .
Ghana  492  201  143 29 . 29  291  190  101 .
Algeria  475  262  217 26 . 19  213 84  129 .
Morocco  426  163 97 1 1 64  263 75  188 .
Thailand  417  292 29  206 3 54  125 55 70 .
Uganda  378  226  145 57 . 24  152  100 52 .
Philippines  360  259 26  147 . 86  101 54 47 .
Romania  341  179  149 12 . 18  162 77 85 .
Sierra Leone  339  259  100  152 . 7 80 43 37 .
Colombia  337  290  222 60 1 7 47 21 26 .
Kazakhstan  329  265  249 15 . 1 64 39 25 .
Kenya  317  202  129 59 . 14  115 74 41 .
Cambodia  310  263 31  184 . 48 47 17 30 .
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.

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