IOM Norway Sustainable Migration Governance

Saving Migrants’ Lives

MIGRANTS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN NEWSLETTER WINTER 2014-2015 IN THIS ISSUE

2014 ended with nearly 5,000 recorded migrant deaths. Most lost their lives in rickety boats in the Mediterranean, the parched deserts of the American border, in the Pacific Ocean between Indonesia and Australia, or suffering at the hands of traffickers or traders of human misery. Many were children. With one billion people on the move on our planet, 2015 might be a banner year for an even higher toll of migrant deaths.

IOM does not accept that 2015 need be worse than 2014. One migrant death is too many. IOM Norway has published in its entirety Saving Migrants’ Lives from our Director General, William Lacy Swing. This comes on the heels of his more recent piece, to be found on IOM.no, Why Europe Needs to Make Immigration Easier, which stresses, “The time has come for a “high-road scenario” based on facilitating migration.”

This does not mean for Europe to open the gates. Indeed, Mr. Swing acknowledges that, “Completely free mobility may be far away.” Rather, it is a call for international effort, including Europe, to engage in a pragmatic,

concerted effort. Mr. Lacy respectfully suggests a holistic approach:

IOM’s new Migration Crisis Operational Framework (MCOF) does just that by linking risk reduction, humanitarian action, migration management and development. It’s a holistic approach that will improve the way migration, diasporas and remittances can facilitate post-crisis recovery. It’s an approach that requires partnerships, so we strongly believe that the international community must come together to devise more systematic ways to protect stranded migrants caught up in conflicts.

IOM is proud to part of this effort. We believe 2015 can be a year of mitigating greater losses by assisting migrants to find their way home, and being an active participant in the concerted effort to aide migrants.

In cooperation with our partners and to the welfare of our beneficiaries, we look forward to working toward our shared goal in 2015.

Climate Change and Migration – Page 4 Climate 7As – page 12

Web, Stats and VARP News – Page 6 Web developments, statistics and news.

Saving Migrants’ Lives – Page 8 Migrants are dying daily in desperate attempts to reach economic, social, religious and political security. A letter from William Lacy Swing, Director General, International Organization for Migration.

Grünerløkka, 1915-2015: 100 Years of Migration in Norway – Page 10

Recorded Migrant Deaths for 2014: 4,469

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION (IOM)

VISITING ADDRESS: SKIPPERGATA 33, 2ND FLOOR, OSLO

MAILING ADDRESS: POSTBOKS 8927, YOUNGSTORGET, N-0028, OSLO

TEL: 23 10 53 20, FAX: 23 10 53 23

Email: iomoslo@iom.int www.iom.no

2014 ended with nearly 5,000 recorded migrant deaths. Most lost their lives in rickety boats in the Mediterranean, the parched deserts of the American border, in the Pacific Ocean between Indonesia and Australia, or suffering at the hands of traffickers or traders of human misery. Many were children. With one billion people on the move on our planet, 2015 might be a banner year for an even higher toll of migrant deaths.

IOM does not accept that 2015 need be worse than 2014. One migrant death is too many. IOM Norway has published in its entirety Saving Migrants’ Lives from our Director General, William Lacy Swing. This comes on the heels of his more recent piece, to be found on IOM.no, Why Europe Needs to Make Immigration Easier, which stresses, “The time has come for a “high-road scenario” based on facilitating migration.”

This does not mean for Europe to open the gates. Indeed, Mr. Swing acknowledges that, “Completely free mobility may be far away.” Rather, it is a call for international effort, including Europe, to engage in a pragmatic, concerted effort. Mr. Swing respectfully suggests a holistic approach:

IOM’s new Migration Crisis Operational Framework (MCOF) does just that by linking risk reduction, humanitarian action, migration management and development. It’s a holistic approach that will improve the way migration, diasporas and remittances can facilitate post-crisis recovery. It’s an approach that requires partnerships, so we strongly believe that the international community must come together to devise more systematic ways to protect stranded migrants caught up in conflicts.

IOM is proud to be part of this effort. We believe 2015 can be a year of mitigating greater losses by assisting migrants to find their way home, and being an active participant in the concerted effort to aide migrants.

In cooperation with our partners and to the welfare of our beneficiaries, we look forward to working toward our shared goal in 2015.

IOM NORWAY WINTER 2014/2015 2

On Wednesday the 19th of November in Oslo, IOM Norway marked 2014 International Migrants Day by hosting the national pre-premiere of the feature film The Good Lie. Nearly 100 invited guests, including migrant and diaspora organisations, ambassadors, academics, and members from Norwegian ministries and directorates, came together to watch the moving and inspirational tale of the “Lost Boys of Sudan.”

To coincide with the screening, IOM took the opportunity to discuss issues of resettlement. (From left to right in photo) Director General Barbro A. Bakken from the Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion talked about the great developments seen in Norway’s resettlement and integration practices over the course of her career, including the mandatory “Introduction Programme” that all refugees in Norway attend. Julie Furuta-Toy, Chargé d'affaires of the Embassy of the United States in Norway, explained the complexities

involved in being the world’s top resettlement country, and highlighted that IOM is a key partner for the US government in the resettlement process.

Annette Sørlie, Senior Adviser at the Red Cross, explained the importance of civil society in the integration of resettled refugees. Janvier Nzigo, Outreach Officer at IOM Norway, began his speech by thanking Sørlie and the Red Cross for their “homework help” programme, where he was given valuable help with schoolwork and met his first Norwegian friend after having been resettled in Norway. Congolese Nzigo talked about his experiences of being resettled from a refugee camp in Burundi with the assistance of IOM, and his feelings of travelling to Norway with the characteristic IOM bag.

The IOM bags are featured repeatedly throughout The Good Lie, a film which Nzigo and many other guests found “deeply moving.” After the film, IOM bags containing

information sheets of IOM Norway’s programmes were handed out to the guest, including information on Cultural Orientation for Norway-bound Refugees (NORCO) – a programme that provides integrated pre-arrival cultural orientation classes for quota refugees accepted for resettlement in Norway. The primary objective of pre-departure orientation is to facilitate the integration of quota refugees into Norwegian society, and it includes addressing unrealistic expectations with the aim of reducing culture shock. In The Good Lie, one can see the difficulties that refugees may face when resettled in a completely unfamiliar culture, even when given pre-departure cultural orientation by IOM. Since the inception of NORCO in 2003, around 8,000 Norway-bound quota refugees have been given cultural orientation classes. Last year, almost 50,000 migrants attended an IOM migrant training course, held in 49 countries worldwide.

INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS DAY

WATCH VIDEO ON IOM.NO: CELEBRATION OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS DAY

International Migrants Day: The Norwegian government, the Embassy of the United States and the Red Cross join IOM for a panel discussion at the Norwegian pre-premiere of The Good Lie

The Lost Boys of Sudan is the name

given to the group of over 20,000

boys and girls who of the Nuer and

Dinka ethnic groups displaced or

orphaned during the Second

Sudanese War Civil War (1983-

2005). 2.5 million people were killed

and millions were displaced from

the war. Over 4,000 lost boys and

girls resettled in the United States

went with assistance from IOM.

IOM NORWAY WINTER 2014/2015 3

IOM Norway had the pleasure of hosting the pre-premiere of The Good Lie on November 19. There was an unexpected surprise: the movie featured the music of Nico & Vinz and Emmanuel Jal (Find a Way). Nico & Vinz, formerly known as Envy in Norway, are Norway’s latest successful musical export. They’re also the children of migrants (Ghana and the Ivory Coast) and not surprisingly, they’re also exceptionally good. Singing in English and Norwegian and proudly Norwegian and African, Nico & Vinz made Am I Wrong a global hit.

Music reminds us of home and places we might never see again. Like food, music is so strong an aesthetic taste that nothing than perhaps smell or taste can evoke more immediate human memory. Joy, sadness, loss and love and the immeasurable moments that make a human life can be recalled in an instant when hearing a piece of music. The Good Lie soundtrack also has Run River North (Growing Up), children of Korean migrants to the United States, Kenya’s Oyub Ogada (Obiero), migrant to the UK and returnee to Kenya, Sweden’s Melpo Mene (Ain’t Gonna Die While Sitting Down), Australia’s Xavier Rudd (Creating a Dream) and Emmanuel Jal. Emmanuel Jal, who also acts in the movie, was a child soldier in the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). Through determination and the intervention of British aid worker Emma McCune, Jal completed an education in Kenya. His music is a voice for ethnic and religious tolerance in Sudan. True to its

message, The Good Lie and its soundtrack are about migration.

This musical migration is not just a recent phenomenon. Both forced migration (Africans/refugees from Nazi Germany) and more recent migration (Latin America) has had a profound effect on such diverse music as the invention of jazz, orchestral composition and the development of Tejano and dance music. Afro-beat, Bossa Nova, Polka, Indian pop, Celtic, Native American, Aboriginal, Klezmer, J-pop, Caribbean, Fado and even Kabuki has spread and evolved not only because people want to hear it, but because migrants brought it. BBC Radio 4 produces an astonishing series entitled Musical Migrants that tells the story of blues, country-western, opera, folk, samba, classical, flamenco, reggae and tango through migrants. (Musical Migrants. BBC. 2008-2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00kct1j).

Of course, there are moments when I only want to hear and experience the sound of a place, like the call to prayers in Istanbul while sitting underneath the Galata Bridge, or the rush of water leaping off to its fate at my native Niagara Falls. But I am a migrant, and old friends like Hikaru Utada from Japan on the streets of Batumi, Icona Pop from Sweden at Seattle’s Pike Place Market, Liima Inui from Greenland on the Burj Khalifa in Dubai or Zap Mama from the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the Bangkok’ Tha Kha floating market (all migrants, children of migrants or descendants of migrants) make me feel connected to something bigger. Zap Mama says it best on Miss Q’n, “Traveling from the north to the south, southern stories, south to the east, east to the west, we’re all looking for the best.” Migration provides a soundtrack to the past and possibilities for the future.

Based on a project from IOM Ireland, IOM Norway has launched Stories of Return (web) and Postcards of Return (printed). Both the web and the book tell the stories and experiences of returnees. These are not just success stories. They are honest depictions and experiences of returnees upon return.

IOM Norway has taken the stories a step further. Translating them into the first person and in different languages (Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Dari, Kurdish, Nepali, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Tigrinya, Russian), the stories are now available in an engaging book form in Postcards of Return. The book was presented to State Secretary of Justice and Security Jøran Kallmyr. www.iomstoriesofreturnnorway.com and http://issuu.com/iomnorway/docs/postcards_return_low__res_web_versi

Launch of Return Stories On Web and Postcards of

Return

This picture caption uses the Caption 2 paragraph style and is inside a text box so that you can move it easily as needed to accompany a photo.

The Good Lie: Music and Migration by Charles Kinney, Jr.

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“The gravest effects of climate change may be those on human migration as millions are displaced by shoreline erosion, coastal flooding and severe drought,” said the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) in one of its first reports, 25 years ago. Since then, IOM has worked on climate change, environment and migration issues in a number of ways.

The number of affected populations is steadily increasing. In 2013, 22 million people were newly displaced by disasters in at least 119 countries, almost three times more than those who fled wars and conflict. We know that people will be increasingly affected as some areas are continue become too hot for human habitation and others are endangered by sea level rise.

Experts believe that 520 million people globally each are affected by global flooding in coastal zones, and a billion people a year are potentially exposed to these risks. Some 120 million are exposed to tropical cyclone hazards. Low-elevation coastal zones host around of the 10% of the world’s population and will be affected by the sea-level rise.

The inhabitants of Tuvalu, an island state in the Pacific Ocean, may be among those who will need to leave their homes due to climate change. The island is seen as one of the most vulnerable communities in a world affected by rising sea temperatures. If global sea levels rise as predicted, Tuvaluans and other low-elevation coastal zone states will cease to exist. Ursula Rakova from the Carteret Islands, Papua New Guinea, argues that, “Academics have dubbed us amongst world’s first environmental refugees and journalists put us on the frontline of climate change…we do not need labels but actions.”

(Marshall Islands - IOM/Joe Lowry)

Maria Tiimon, climate activist from Kiribati, supports Rakova, “The term climate refugee as a ‘solution’ is too simplistic. Climate change is not just about moving people to a safer place. It’s about equity, identity and human rights.” IOM takes the issue of climate change induced migration very seriously, and in November we dedicated our yearly regular Council session – the highest level of authority of IOM – to climate change and migration. The topic is also high on the Norwegian government’s agenda. At the recent high-level conference in Lima, Peru, Norwegian Climate Minister, Tine Sundoft, stated, “There have always been cyclones, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, droughts and mudslides etc. What is new is the frequency and intensity of sudden onset weather related events. It would be naïve to believe that no-one will have to move as a result of climate change, be it voluntarily or forcibly.” What is IOM doing to support environmentally-induced migrants? IOM’s perspective is clear. We are using our expertise in order to pursue three broad objectives:

1. To minimize forced and unmanaged migration as much as possible;

2. Where forced migration does occur, to ensure assistance and protection for those affected and to seek durable solutions;

3. To facilitate the role of migration as

an adaption strategy to climate change.

One way we are working towards these objectives is through partnership with the Nansen Initiative. The initiative is funded and chaired by the Norwegian and Swiss governments. IOM is a Standing Invitee to the chairing group, along with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The aim of the Initiative is to create a protection agenda based on three pillars, including:

international cooperation and

solidarity;

standards for the treatment of

affected people regarding

admission and stay status;

operational responses, including

funding mechanisms and

responsibilities of international

humanitarian and development

actors.

The initiative was launched in 2012 and is a grassroots-led coalition that aims to build consensus among nations to create a framework that helps communities cope with climate change and natural disasters. Johan Meyer, Refugee Policy Director at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and member of the Nansen Initiative steering committee, said, “Norway realizes that even if we manage to keep global warming below the two degree goal, there will be an impact on the environment that causes people to flee. We need to adapt to climate change. That may include migration and relocation, but there will inevitably also be people who are displaced. When people cross borders, there may be a protection challenge as well, and that is the core of the Nansen Initiative.”

Italian journalist and author Fabrizio Gatti, winner of the 2014 Oslo University Human Rights Award and author of Bilal, supports cooperation between nation states, “Awareness amongst communities is the first step, but we should not consider climate change as an unsolvable excuse. Climate change can boost migration flows worsening the economy of a country, reducing the amount of

Climate Change and Migration by Carina Wint and Sigurd Tvete

IOM NORWAY WINTER 2014/2015 5

drinking water, but it’s only one part of the story.” War, dictatorship, foreign economic exploitation and demographic growth are still the main causes of migration, and they are not always the consequence of climate change. Often, it is the overall situation, environmental factors included, that causes people to flee or migrate, and individual issues may be hard to isolate and identify.

The collaborative approach of the Nansen Initiative facilitates many global voices that have previously been marginalized in the climate change debate. The Nansen Initiative is helping governments construct preparedness plans that make societies more resilient. Advanced preparations greatly assist efforts and help to mitigate eventual damages, but many countries do not have the funds to invest in risk reduction. Even when they do, the funds are sometimes misdirected.

Gatti, who travelled across Africa for the awarding-winning Bilal – which traces the modern-day migrant routes from Africa to Europe, said, “Most African countries cannot afford disaster-reduction plans. Even in my country, Italy, which is one of the highest seismic hazard areas in the world, there is no extensive national civil-protection plan. Why? Corruption and misappropriation of public funds, misgovernment and the common belief that an earthquake is still due to the will of God.”

It is common knowledge that the world’s poorest are most at risk from climate change-induced events. When disaster strikes, affected communities are forced to move from rural to urban areas, or in some cases, across immediate borders with neighbouring countries. The duration of the environmentally-induced migration is dependent on the type of climatic event. For coastal communities affected by sea-level rises, the damage will be irreversible.

(Gonaives - IOM/Nino Nunes)

IOM recognizes the climate pressures on migration and displacement and the financial challenges it places on many countries. Recently, IOM joined the Climate Vulnerable Forum Trust Fund, which is a partnership that aims to increase the capacity of affected communities to deal with migration and displacement linked to the impact of climate change and environmental pressures. The fund is unique among international climate-financing instruments as it has a focus on promoting adaption to climate change, not just mitigation, and because it is a South-South cooperation platform involving some 20 countries particularly vulnerable to climate change.

Johan Meyer from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes, “The way forward starts by recognizing the importance of climate change adaptation. It is an international responsibility. We need to show solidarity with those who cannot deal with the issues alone.”

IOM agrees and has held an ongoing series of capacity-building trainings targeting mid to senior level policymakers and practitioners active in environmental and/or migration areas. The trainings seek to provide participants with a basic understanding of migration, environment and climate change concepts and terminology, as well as concrete tools that can support national and regional policymaking processes. Opinion remains divided about the success of the IPCC Lima conference. While the dust settles in the empty conference halls of the Peruvian capital, IOM continues to work towards the climate agreement conference in Paris at the end of this year. Moreover, IOM will be a key player in the final consultations from the Nansen Initiative towards the development of the before-mentioned protection agenda, and will continue to place human mobility at the very centre of the climate change debate. Our mandate compels us to raise awareness on the potential incidence of disasters on human mobility, and to support those communities that will bear the brunt of climatic changes.

For more information visit:

http://environmentalmigration.iom.int/

http://www.nanseninitiative.org/

What are the climate 7As? Page 12

IOM applies its comprehensive migration management approach to the linkages between migration, climate change and the environment. Through its activities, IOM helps to reduce vulnerability of populations exposed to environmental risk factors, assists populations on the move as a result of disasters and environmental changes, and builds the capacities of governments and other actors to face the challenge of environmental migration.

With over 20 years of experience working on climate issues, IOM has developed an extensive portfolio of activities in the areas of capacity building, research advocacy, international migration law, partnerships, policy dialogues and operations in the field with a focus on human mobility, environment, disasters and climate. IOM has assisted at least 23 million individuals through the implementation of over 250 projects with an environment, disaster and resilience dimension.

IOM NORWAY WINTER 2014/2015 6

WEB DEVELOPMENTS

IOM.NO REDESIGNED Increased functionality and a modern design reflect IOM’s mission and dedication to client services.

VOLUNTARYRETURN.COM A new, simplified one-page application in English and Norwegian and a wholly redesigned web-face based on the concept DECIDE TO RETURN, PREPARE, TRAVEL and BUILD A NEW LIFE. VOLUNTARYRETURN.COM uses pictograms, enhanced language capability and a new, innovative SMS system where applicants can check the status of their Voluntary Assisted Return Programme (VARP) application.

FAST FACTS

27.4% Return visitors to IOM.NO

72.6% New visitors to IOM.NO

Redesigned Web Sites, New SMS Service and Pictograms Enhance Client and Language Services in the VARP Process

IOM.NO and VOLUNTARYARYRETURN.COM have been redesigned for simplicity and functionality. The new design can now respond more effectively to changes, increasing uniformity of message and flow of information to clients. IOM Norway is also excited to launch a new, free SMS service to check the status of a Voluntary Assisted Return Programme (VARP) application. After entering a DUF number and the original telephone number submitted with the application, it is possible to check the status of any application privately and quickly. The new SMS-system uses clear pictograms to explain progress in the Voluntary Assisted Return Process (VARP). At present, English & Norwegian are possible for transmission by SMS. www.voluntaryreturn.com

Return and Reintegration for Vulnerable Migrants Seminar IOM Norway arranged a seminar on ‘Return and Reintegration for Vulnerable Migrants’ in December in Oslo. The seminar focused on the opportunities and challenges related to the return and reintegration process for victims of trafficking, unaccompanied minors, aged-out minors, migrants with medical needs and other migrants in highly vulnerable situations. IOM Norway presented information about the Vulnerable Groups Project which provides individually-tailored return and reintegration assistance to vulnerable migrants. IOM representatives from Albania, the Philippines and Nigeria shared their experiences with providing reintegration assistance to vulnerable migrants. The seminar aimed to spread awareness of the Vulnerable Groups Project and IOM’s reintegration assistance among our Norwegian partners. Participants included the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), staff at reception centres in Norway, as well as representatives from organizations working directly with victims of trafficking, unaccompanied minors and other vulnerable migrants.

Return Seminars Held in Buskerud, Elverum, Trondheim and Kristiansand

The last quarter of 2014 saw an extensive effort by IOM Norway’s Outreach team to reach extended areas and provide better services to irregular migrants. Working with partners and stakeholders through-out and around Norway, IOM Norway is dedicated to expanding its coverage in 2015.

New, simplified one-minute videos in Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Dari, English French, Kurdish, Nepali, Norwegian, Pashto, Russian, Spanish and Tigrinya simply explain the benefits and details of the Voluntary Assisted Return Programme (VARP) process.

IOM NORWAY WINTER 2014/2015 7

VARP NEWS

Training of Trainers

IOM Norway's partners Innvandrernes landsorganisasjon (INLO), Caritas, Det felles innvandrerråd i Hordland (DFIRH) and Radio Latin-Amerika met in December to discuss experiences and progress for 2014. Strengthening ties and enhancing cooperation were the theme of the meeting. The Training of Trainers (ToT) provides a forum for continued cooperation to assist irregular migrants. Radio Latin-Amerika, Dfirh, Caritas and Frelsesarmeen provide expanded national reach with special focus in the Oslo and Hordaland areas. As well as providing expanded national reach, ToT also allows expansion of our mission to women, invisible migrants and migrants in emergency situations.

FAST TRACK PROCESSING DAYS

7.59 days Average return with Fast Track (application submission to departure)

Embassy Seminar Expands Dialogue

IOM Norway held a seminar in September with 40 ambassadors and embassy staff and the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration in Oslo to exchange experiences and improve collaboration to better assist migrants who wish to return home voluntarily with IOM assistance.

“In order to make sure that as many migrants as possible benefit from IOM Norway’s services it is imperative that IOM Norway finds how to make the application process as smooth as possible with embassies and consulates,” said Joost van der Aalst, IOM Norway Chief of Mission.

Some migrants have at times misunderstandings on the kind of identification documents required by embassies and authorities. The workshop was based on real cases and experiences related to assisted voluntary return to improve the situation.

In order for the system to work, IOM relies on a strong and close relationship with embassies for identity verification, travel documents and authentication of passports. In 2013, IOM Norway assisted nearly 72% of the migrants returning home voluntarily with obtaining either travel documents or valid passports from various embassies and consulates.

“An indispensable part of IOM’s operations is our close cooperation with embassies and consulates. Facilitating migrants who have made an informed decision to return to their home countries is one of IOM Norway’s key activities. It is therefore important to discuss and engage with colleagues on the various steps and issues that migrants wishing to return may go through,” said Joost van der Aalst.

Embassy Seminar IOM Norway Chief of Mission Joost van der Aalst said, “These annual meetings with our counterparts from diplomatic missions in Norway offer a prime opportunity for a dialogue to explore feasible solutions in support of migrants in need of a return to their country of origin.”

IOM NORWAY WINTER 2014/2015 8

William Lacy Swing

On December 18th IOM and the world marked International Migrants Day 2014. Our theme was “Saving Migrants’ Lives” and our focus was the global humanitarian challenge posed by the plight of thousands of migrants who die while trying to reach safety. On International Migrants Day 2013, IOM focused on “Desperation Migration” and produced the first global estimates of the numbers of migrants dying on migratory routes, whether at sea or on land.

New IOM data show that the numbers are increasing and 2014 will be the deadliest year on record…(the number) will likely be close to 5,000 - more than twice the 2,378 deaths we reported last year.

We know that migration – and particularly irregular migration - is a controversial topic around the world. Too often the debate focuses on its perceived negative socio- economic impact on employment and cultural differences. But we urgently need to change this lens through which people view migration - if we are to save the desperate people who continue to risk their lives migrating in search of safety and a better future. All too often they are exploited by criminal making fortunes in excess of US$1-2 million per boat on the overcrowded, unseaworthy vessels they send unsuspecting migrants to their deaths on. Specifically we urge the international community to take more responsibility for saving the lives of the thousands of migrants - men, women and children - who undertake dangerous journeys in small boats on rough seas, and on foot across deserts and mountains. It is unacceptable that anyone fleeing for their life be denied safe haven or rescue. Migrants fleeing war, religious extremism and natural disasters deserve our empathy – not our indifference.

Migrants contribute greatly both to their countries of origin and their host communities. This new diaspora also has an important role to play in helping their communities back home. They are credible voices whom those contemplating unsafe journeys will listen to. They are a voice of reason in an often

tumultuous debate. IOM’s information campaign highlighting the Contributions of Migrants is crucial in countering misinformation by presenting evidence in readily understandable ways. Better evidence, data and evaluations of the impact of migration policies and programmes are key to countering misconceptions about the real scale and impact of migration.

In 2014 we encouraged IOM missions worldwide to engage in the world of social media with our #MigrationMeans campaign on Twitter and Facebook. IOM missions shared photos of migrants on social media explaining what migration means to the individuals involved.

Success stories are also important and in 2015 IOM will launch the #MigrantHeroes Campaign. IOM will ask the public to nominate “migrant heroes” who have made a significant contribution to society after migrating abroad. I will invite selected winners to participate on the Migrant Voices panel at the 2015 IOM Council in Geneva. This campaign will allow IOM to put a human face on the narrative that migrants contribute positively in the countries and cities where they live across the globe. I hope that you will actively support it.

Saving Migrants’ Lives by William Lacy Swing, Director General, International Organization for Migration

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THE MISSING MIGRANTS PROJECT

IOM NORWAY WINTER 2014/2015 10

One side of the street of our busy office at Skippergata 33 leads to Oslo S, Oslo’s large and sometimes chaotic but controlled train station. The other side takes you to Storgata, the “big street,” on to Trondheimsveien, and then you are in Grünerløkka. The pulse of Oslo, home to Poles, Swedes, Somalis, Lithuanians and Pakistanis (Norway’s five largest migrant communities), and full of the sounds of Asia, Africa and the Americas, Grünerløkka is alive, exciting, human. Grünerløkka is Oslo’s Brooklyn (NYC), Praga (Warsaw), SoFo (Stockholm), Užupis (Vilnius) and PECHS (Karachi) all rolled into one.

Oslo, IOM Norway’s home city of 600,000 people, may seem expensive and cold to outsiders. Go a little deeper, and like brunost, Norway’s brown cheese and usually a complete mystery to visitors, it starts to grow on you. Grünerløkka is a part of that. Stretching from Grønland, the center of Norway’s migrant life, to Sofienberg Park (and what must be the best place to hang out on a sunny afternoon), to Hasle; Grünerløkka migrant shops and restaurants, hip pubs, trendy eateries, and even mosques, churches, temples and the Jewish cultural center of Norway’s re-emerging Jewish population.

Migration has been a part of Oslo and Norwegian society for hundreds of years. By 1915, nearly 800,000 Norwegians, 1/3 of then Norway, had left.

By 2015, 15% of the total population of Norway is made up of nearly 800,000 migrants or the children of migrants.

I was curious. Norway’s long history of migration includes taking to the seas to find its future (ancient intricately-carved wooden ships and now intricately-designed systems for oil), Viking kings having foreign wives to seal alliances, the Hanseatic League bringing migrants and economic development, and the migrant mining industry creating Kongsberg and Røros. But could the story of 100 years of Norwegian migration be told through a neighborhood?

Olav Ryes plass, 1920

I began to read. To my delight, Grünerløkka used to be called New York, the epicenter of all things migrant and my home state. The drive of people who are now street names pushed the neighborhood forward: the Grüner family, Thorvald Meyer and Schou. Starting in the turn of century, Grünerløkka was home to factories and industry, drawn by the Akerselva River, which flows through Grünerløkka. Hardworking internal Norwegian migrants came to Grünerløkka and Oslo from all over Norway. Even signs of “NO NORTHERNS WANTED” (a time when

southern Norwegians looked down on their Northern countrymen) and back-breaking work did not deter Norwegians from moving into Grünerløkka. The Hercules clothing company normal working schedule was 7:00 to 19:00, with a half-hour breakfast, one and a half-hour dinner and a fifteen-minute break.

Jews escaping from pogroms in Eastern Europe arrived in the 1910s, and by the start of World War II, Grünerløkka was a solid Norwegian neighborhood with assimilated migrants. Post-World War II brought returning Jews, then refugees from 1956 Hungary. However, in the 50s and 60s, the neighborhood began a slow decline as residents moved out to newer communities and Grünerløkka slid into disrepair. Stig Arnesen, a long-term resident of Grünerløkka, is a retired teacher and social worker. Born and raised and living in Grünerløkka, Stig has seen Grünerløkka in decline and rebirth. “When I was growing up in the 1950s and 60s, Grünerløkka shops were still Jewish in parts. The neighborhood was Norwegian, but things were going down. There was one black and one biracial family, and they were accepted, but Grünerløkka had lost its reason for existing when the factories starting closing down. People began moving up to the suburbs of Oslo East. Then everything changed in the 1970s.”

The 1970s brought refugees from Chile and Vietnam and workers from Pakistan; the 1980s, Iran and Sri Lanka; the 1990s, the Balkans; 2000s, Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan; 2010s, Syria. Stig said, “In the 70s, Norway began to invite workers, and I worked with people from Pakistan, teaching Norwegian and assisting with cultural orientation. It was a challenge because we didn’t have translators, but they (the migrants) worked hard and Norway needed them to work.”

Grünerløkka, run down but low-priced and in the center of the city, drew migrants for its housing and relevant cultural safety.” Migrants would come and live eight to a place, trying to share

Grünerløkka, 1915-2015: 100 Years of Migration in Norway by Charles Kinney, Jr.

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the rent to save money. I remember my parents telling me that it reminded them of Norwegians in the early years in Grünerløkka, many living in one place, sharing one toilet and a kitchen to try and save money. There weren’t many places to live. Grønland had changed from boarded-up shops, and Grünerløkka was waking up.”

Migrants Contribute

Maybe it is gentrification, but surely it might also be the drive that most migrants bring to cities that has helped Grünerløkka wake up. My daily walk on Trondheimsveien from our office takes me past the All-Asia grocery store, then Grønland with its blocks of migrant

stores, restaurants and business, past an amazing Lebanese bakery, to the Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurants. Then to Thorvald Meyers gate, which rambles into ultra-trendy eateries and shops. Going further up Trondheimsveien, vegetable stores run by Iraqis and Iranians, side streets with large African communities and then to a street that hosts the Romany community, all dotted along the way with Norwegian pubs, churches, houses and schools. Trams run the length of the street, while taxis usually driven by Somalis do a good trade. It’s quite a scene but it’s home.

It might be trendy and cool to live in Grünerløkka, but digging a little deeper, 100 years of migrants and Norwegians

working together has helped make Grünerløkka what it is today. As we celebrate International Migrants Day in Norway, like the long-ago Hercules clothing factory, I am a little thread in a bunadsjakke (traditional Norwegian jacket) that someone started to sew long before me and that someone will sew long after I’m gone. By 2115, only a fool or an academic would make a guess what the future of Oslo looks like, but Grünerløkka and migrants will hopefully be a part of it.

What else do migrants contribute? www.migrantscontribute.com See Oslo’s past and future come alive: http://www.byarkivet.oslo.kommune.no

Grünerløkka, 1915-2015: 100 Years of Migration in Norway

Scenes from Grünerløkka: Sannerbrua – 1915, Birkelunden Park – 1927, Akerselva River – 1937 "Grünerløkka." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Jan. 2014. 2 Nov. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grünerløkka>. "Immigration to Norway." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Jan. 2014. 2 Nov. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_Norway>. "Norwegian-Americans." Norwegian-Americans. 2 Nov. 2014. <http://www.norway.org/News_and_events/Embassy/Norwegian-American-Organizations/Norwegian_Americans/#.VFZfXvnF9i8>. "www.bradager.net." Grünerløkkas Historie. 2 Nov. 2014. <http://www.bradager.net/lokka/lokkahist.html>. Photos (Sannerbrua, 2015: Ole Anders Flatmo, Carina Wint): "Byarkivet." Hovedside. 2 Nov. 2014. <http://www.byarkivet.oslo.kommune.no/

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IOM’s Engagement on Migration and Climate: 7As

1. Adaptation: Giving prominence to the potential of migration as a positive adaptation strategy, taking into consideration disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, sustainable development and resilience implications

2. Abilities: Calling attention to the capacities needed at the policy and community levels to respond to issues associated with human mobility in the context of climate change and environmental degradation

3. Alliances: Encouraging partnerships and collaboration among all key stakeholder at the international, regional, national and local levels, across policy areas and with governmental, non-governmental and private actors to ensure that a wide range of policy options is developed

4. Action: Highlighting actions already being taken and existing good practices to encourage replication and development of new tailored solutions 5. Assessments: Assessing and evaluating existing data for evidence-based and producing new evidence and research 6. Assets: Accessing funds to develop activities on migration and adaptation and harnessing the potential of migration-related sources of financing, for example, remittances and diaspora investments

7. Advocacy: Giving a voice to environmental migrants and adopting rights-based approaches.

IOM Environmental Factsheet: http://www.iom.int/Template/migration-climate-change-environmental-degradation/interactive-factsheet/index.html