The bishops with letters of asylum to Erna Solberg:

“We are concerned about the deterioration of the life situation that has arisen for those asylum seekers who over time have not been able to return to their countries of origin. They are in a situation of blockade where life is paralyzed,” it is stated in the bishops letter.

Norway’s chief bishop, President Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit, tells Dagbladet that the Church calls for action from the government and Prime Minister Erna Solberg (H).

– We are concerned and we wonder if the government is doing what is necessary to ensure supply to the most vulnerable. We see signs that this is not the case, he says.

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Worried

– We are concerned about the most vulnerable in our society. People who come to Norway to apply for asylum are among them. They do not have the same rights as others in Norway, says Fykse Tveit.

The bishops are also calling for the Christmas amnesty that the government announced last year. As Dagbladet has previously mentioned, this has yet to happen.

– I don’t think this is worthy. This is a case that concerns few people, and there are small numbers involved. It’s about political will. We believe it is urgent, says the Bishop of Nidaros.

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The Christmas amnesty will have about 50 people. Among the requirements to be covered by the amnesty are that you cannot be convicted, that you have lived in Norway for 16 consecutive years and that the total age and length of stay must be at least 65 years.

Crown measurements

The bishops of the Church of Norway also want a solution for the largest group of the roughly 2,300 who, for various reasons, describe themselves as non-returnable asylum seekers.

– The situation is difficult when you do not have the right to work or to basic social and health services. The corona pandemic has brought this to the forefront, says Fykse Tveit.

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The bishops are demanding a temporary solution that gives asylum seekers the right to work and health care. Specifically, they propose a regulation that grants a work and residence permit for the duration of the pandemic.

One of the people who was promised an amnesty is Lula Tekle, 56, who became famous in Norway because former Bishop Gunnar Stålsett let her work as a cleaner in his home.

Blame it on the crown

The Minister for Children and Families, Kjell Ingolf Ropstad (KrF), responds on behalf of the government in this case. He agrees with the bishops meeting that older and long-term asylum seekers are a particularly vulnerable group.

– I understand that it is demanding for stakeholders to have to wait for this to happen, but unfortunately this has been delayed a bit due to the pandemic, says Ropstad.

– KrF has been impatient in the follow-up and is now working to implement it quickly. Money has been set aside in the state budget for 2021 to follow this up, continues the KrF leader.

– Norway treated me like an animal

– Miserable conditions

Olav Fykse Tveit, who was ordained bishop of Nidaros and the new president of the Church earlier this fall, says some are more vulnerable than others during the crown pandemic.

Asylum seekers are among them, he believes.

– They are people who live in miserable conditions, without income and without medical care to which the rest of us have access. They may also not dare to go to the health service for the test, which in that case carries a risk of contagion for society.

Fykse Tveit emphasizes that the bishops’ meeting, in principle, believes that asylum seekers should also, under normal circumstances, have the right to work and receive medical care beyond the most serious.

– When there has been no political will to implement this permanently, the authorities should at least open themselves to temporary changes now, he says.

Pointing at politicians

When asked why bishops are involved in an issue for which politicians are responsible, he answers the following:

– Society is full of issues for which politicians are responsible. We all have a shared responsibility. The church will be the mouthpiece for all who are most vulnerable. We are one humanity, not only Norway and Norwegians are the perspective of the Church. Many people in the Church are in contact with vulnerable people such as asylum seekers, and we have a role to play as spokespersons when they are not listened to.

– Does KrF have a special responsibility as a ruling party here?

– It is not about Christian holidays or not, it is about basic human dignity. And all those in power must face criticism. We believe that this is a well-founded critical attitude. KrF must ensure that the amnesty is applied.