ABSTRACT

Norway has a rather small population (approximately 4.8 million) and is located on the outskirts of Europe. It has a low unemployment rate (3.1 per cent in September 2009, according to Statistics Norway 2009c), and is not a member of the EU. Its peripheral geographical position may make it an unattractive destination of migration (as well as difficult to reach), but the general welfare and low unemployment may also be pull factors for immigration. Norway is a relatively young immigration country. Since net immigration started in the late 1960s, the first generation of immigrants’ descendants has now reached adulthood. There are great variations in the educational and labour market attainment of descendants. Some groups are marginalized, whereas others perform on average better than young people with no immigrant background.