Exploring community support for refugees in Norway
Exploring community support for refugees in Norway
The concept of ‘community sponsorship’ originated in Canada and has journeyed to Europe over the past decade. This report discusses its suitability in a Norwegian national context, as compared with the broader concept of community support.
The Norwegian Institute for Social Research, in collaboration with UNHCR, has launched a new report that examines how civil society in Norway can best support refugee reception and integration. Drawing on expert interviews and international practices, the report compares the concept of community sponsorship programmes, where individuals or groups provide financial and practical support to refugees, with broader forms of community support already active in Norwegian municipalities.
The findings suggest that while community sponsorship has gained traction internationally, Norway’s highly regulated integration system and Nordic welfare model make other forms of community support more suitable in the short to medium term. Existing local initiatives, built on strong traditions of volunteerism and public-private partnerships, offer meaningful ways to engage communities in refugee support.
The report recommends building on and expanding these existing efforts, aligning with Norway’s national strategy to strengthen civil society’s role in integration. While community sponsorship may hold future potential, especially in response to increased refugee arrivals, current conditions favor enhancing the diverse support mechanisms already in place.
Read the report here.
