Public discussion of immigration in Norway has undergone a noticeable change, with a harder tone that is increasingly reflected in both politics and public opinion.
If you have noticed a subtle change in the atmosphere at dinner parties, in comment sections, or at work, you are not imagining it. The tone around immigration in Norway has shifted.
According to a recent analysis by Aftenposten, Norway’s political landscape has changed significantly on immigration policy. Except for the Socialist Left (SV) and the Green Party (MDG), almost every party has taken a stricter stance than a few years ago.
“The rhetoric has clearly hardened. The mood has become more critical of immigration,” Grete Brochmann, a sociology professor at the University of Oslo, said to Aftenposten.
She points out that the political landscape is changing so much that even groups and individuals on the left are adopting more restrictive approaches. Immigration is now more often mentioned as a “problem” in public discussions. As a result, increasingly strict immigration policies are no longer seen as a fringe view but are now part of mainstream politics.
Public opinion is mirroring this trend. Recent polls from Statistics Norway (SSB) show that attitudes toward immigration have become less positive for two years in a row. While the majority of Norwegians still believe immigrants make a positive contribution, there is a growing segment that wants to make it harder for refugees and asylum seekers to get residency.
Why is this happening?
Brochmann told Aftenposten she believes the hardening of the debate is driven by several complex factors including a self-reinforcing rightward political shift that is partly a reaction to widespread immigration.
The influence of other Scandinavian countries — Denmark has had strict immigration policies for years and Sweden changed its approach following the 2015 refugee crisis and more recently the election of a right wing government in 2022 — is also now rubbing off on Norway, she said. Norwegian politicians are now looking to Denmark’s strict assimilation model as an example.
Numbers are also a factor, with Statistics Norway reporting that the immigrant population has doubled since 2010 and increased fivefold since the 1990s. This rapid growth places Norway in the top tier of immigration rates among EU and OECD nations.
Other elements named by Brochmann included labour migration from the EEA and its effects on employment among existing immigrants, and a lag in observable social outcomes from immigration, which often only become clear years later.
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This change in tone is not just happening in Scandinavia, meanwhile. Journalist and program host Hilde Sandvik says there is a global trend of more radical public debate.
Systemic criticism vs. contempt
Sandvik says that for years, it was taboo to express concerns about immigration in Norway. Now, things have changed a lot. “We see a new aggressiveness, where extreme positions are given greater space, and where nuances and responsibility more often disappear,” she told Aftenposten.
She makes an important distinction between systemic criticism, which helps improve society, and systemic contempt, which is a general distrust of everything that has been built. “When criticism slips into a general distrust… we also lose the ability to find solutions,” she said.
There is a concern that the debate is moving toward systemic contempt. This is partly because small municipalities that have taken in many refugees and have tight budgets feel their once stable communities are now more vulnerable. “The notion that people from very different backgrounds automatically adapt to Scandinavian welfare models has been too naive,” Sandvik added.
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“Norwegianization”
Brochmann’s analysis shows that immigration has both positive and negative effects, depending on how well people integrate.
Making immigration policy is difficult as measures often have contradictory effects. Family reunification is a good example. It accounts for a large share of immigration in Norway and is an area where the government can tighten rules, but stricter rules can also make integration harder.
She also adds that large numbers of low-skilled immigrants are still a challenge for the Norwegian model.
Brochmann warns that if most people feel immigration is “out of control,” trust (which is very important in Norwegian society) will weaken. She also points out that for immigrants, this “harder, colder climate” can make them feel left out and hurt their trust in the Norwegian system.
The country is now divided on whether immigrants should “strive to be as similar to Norwegians as possible.” According to the SSB, 40 percent agree with this, while 42 percent disagree.
For foreign nationals in Norway, this shows that the pressure to fit in, learn the language, and follow unwritten social rules is not just a political issue but is becoming a growing expectation in society.
Sandvik does not believe this phase is temporary. “This could be the most decisive political conflict in years to come,” she says. “That is precisely why we need more responsible, not more polarizing, responses.”
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Labour migration vs. asylum
Despite the hardening tone, a distinction remains between asylum policy and labour migration. The Statistics Norway (SSB) 2025 report confirms that 91 percent of Norwegians still believe immigrants should have the same job opportunities as Norwegians. Furthermore, 73 percent agree that labor immigration from outside the Nordic region contributes positively to the economy.
However, most people now support stricter controls. The government has even started considering hosting asylum centres in other countries.
READ MORE: What are Norway’s plans for ‘clearer and stricter’ immigration rules?
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More figures
Following a historic peak of solidarity with Ukrainian refugees in 2023, sentiment has cooled, signalling a return to a more restrictive “normal”.
Support for stricter residency rules has also gone up quickly. In 2023, only 9 percent of Norwegians thought it should be harder to get residency, but by 2025, that number had risen to 24 percent.
In the past, men were generally more positive about labour migration than women. But in 2025, this changed, and men are now much more skeptical about immigrants in the workforce.
For international residents in Norway, it seems that while the door is not yet closed in 2026, the latch could be about to get heavier.
READ MORE: The immigration changes foreigners in Norway need to know in 2026