Civil society plays a crucial role in ensuring that immigrants are well integrated into society. This is not done in a flash, but can take years and generations. That's why we want to be able to work more long-term and predictably in this field.

Together with the public sector and the business community, non-profit organizations such as Caritas Norway help to give immigrants the opportunity to participate in working life and society. We do this through networking and information work, and by offering Norwegian language training and job search activities. But it is not a given that this will continue.

Countless hours for application and reporting

The current grant schemes are structured in such a way that countless hours are spent applying for operational and project funding. This is very resource-intensive - both for the applicants and those who administer the funds. We have applied for funding for 34 projects from 14 different donors in order to continue our work in 2023. In addition, the requirement for renewal is at the expense of projects we want to continue, but which have to be put on hold or terminated because the money runs out. This in turn affects the predictability for our users, employees and volunteers.

We constantly receive praise from politicians and authorities for the integration work we do, but the need to be able to work more long-term has so far not been met. The NOU "Between mobility and migration", which is currently under consultation, also points out that integration is a slow process that takes place over time and generations. We therefore hope that integration efforts will be strengthened in the revised national budget.

Need predictability

With more predictability, organizations will be better able to build and retain expertise and experience, trust and networks. This will benefit both users and the public sector, which we relieve with thousands of hours every year through various services. Due to language challenges, NAV, for example, keeps referring people to us. At the same time, we help many more people get in touch with various public services. Without our counselors, it is not certain that they would be aware of and fulfill their rights.

Our added value

Last year, we provided guidance and practical help in 2,200 NAV-related cases. This is one of our added values in our integration work, but it is not free to organize, quality assure, recruit and control the work that our employees and volunteers do.

In a society characterized by exclusion and polarization, integration work is more important than ever. Through our work, we contribute to improving the living conditions of immigrants, getting more of them into work and helping them to participate in society. We want to continue to do this, but with the opportunity for more predictability and long-term work.