Table 1 shows the grounds for the approval of first-time residence permits, visitors’ visas included. In some
circumstances, it is possible that a stateless person may have been granted a first-time visitor’s visa and
subsequently a student residence permit or another kind of permit.72
Table 1: Number of first-time residence permits granted to stateless persons by ground (2011)73
Protection
Stateless 122
Work
Education
Family
immigration
Visitor’s
visa
Permanent
residence
Citizenship
Total
78
16
242
564
162
917
2,101
Table 1 shows the bases on which residence permits were granted to stateless persons in 2011. In the column
“citizenship”, it indicates the number of stateless persons who naturalized that year.
As shown in Table 2, some stateless persons are granted residence permits by Norway on the basis of family
immigration. The number of stateless children who were granted a family immigration permit was 157 in 2011.
Table 2: Number of residence permits granted on ground of family immigration (disaggregated by family
relation, 2011)74
Family relation
Stateless
Number granted
Spouse/partner
Fiancé/e/ cohabiting partner Children
Parent
Other 75
242
74
9
1
1
157
The number of stateless children granted a family-based immigration permit in Norway warrants further
research into this population. For example, research on country of origin or previous habitual residence, the
grounds of their parents’ residence permit, with whom they are uniting, and their living conditions in Norway
might be explored.
In the following tables, a closer look will be taken at the statistics on asylum-seekers. The majority of
stakeholders highlighted the difficult situation of rejected asylum-seekers who are stateless and remain in
Norway.
As illustrated in Table 3 below, the number of asylum applications filed by stateless persons has been relatively
stable during the last ten years, except for a notable increase in the number of applications in 2007-2010,
with a peak in 2009, when 1,280 stateless persons applied for an asylum in Norway. The number of stateless
applicants is roughly proportionate to the total number of asylum applications filed in 2007-2009. However,
the number of stateless persons applying for asylum decreased in relation to the total number of applications
in 2010 and 2011. Despite this decrease in the number of stateless applications, stateless applicants were the
eighth largest group among asylum-seekers in 2011.
Table 3: Asylum applications, by stateless persons and total number of asylum applicants (2002-2011)76
2002
20
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Stateless
391
366
298
209
237
515
940
1 280
448
262
Total
17,480
15,613
7,950
5,402
5,320
6,528
14,431
17,226
10,064
9,053
72
UDI (Statistics and Analysis Division) reply dated 10 August 2012 to a questionnaire prepared by the researcher in relation to
mapping of statelessness in Northern Europe, dated 25 July 2012.
73
UDI, Annual Report 2011, Table 1: Number of first-time permits granted according to citizenship and type.
74
UDI, Annual Report 2011, Table 5: Family Immigration.
75
Foster children, siblings, aunts/uncles, etc. are categorized as “other.”
76
UDI, Annual Report 2011, Table 14: Asylum applications according to citizenship, 2002-2011.
M A P P I N G STAT E L E S S N E S S I N N O RWAY