Politik Kvarter, Frp | – We have settled more people than we manage to integrate over many years

Earlier this year, there was an uproar when Drammen adopted the controversial refugee proposal to settle only 125 refugees, after the state had asked the city to settle 340.

In addition, the bourgeois parties in both the main committee and the chairmanship included in the decision that Drammen should only accept Ukrainian refugees.

The reasoning was that Drammen has so many non-Western immigrants that it would be “inhibiting integration to settle even more with a non-Western background”.

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– Then it will be zero next year

This was also the topic at Politisk Kvarter on Wednesday morning, where Jon Helgheim represented the Progress Party, and Cathrin Janøy met for MDG.

Helgheim was initially clear that it is only Drammen’s residents who lose out because the city itself cannot choose who they want to settle.

– Now we are well into the year and already more than half of the 125 are residents, and we have a device rigged for that towards 125. And setting a line to say zero overnight would be inappropriate – and expensive. We must have safe control over how the appliance in Drammen is set up. Therefore, it was not appropriate to do much about it now. But the fact that we are not allowed by the state to settle those we think we are best suited to settle makes settlement difficult, said Helgheim.

And continued:

– The losers here are Drammen’s residents and refugees who will not be resettled in the future. We have taken control of a number of problems in Drammen, we have settled more people than we manage to integrate over many years, and if this continues, we will have major problems in delivering good services to the residents.

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He further referred to the cooperation agreement with the majority parties, which states that if they were to settle refugees, they should be Ukrainians.

– If we are not allowed to do that, then the answer will be zero next year, said Helgheim.

– Had to defend own existence

The FRP politician was also clear that they have a responsibility to deliver good services to the city’s residents, and that it is important to take the challenges of integration seriously.

– Therefore, it will be difficult to settle refugees. The reason why we reached out to settle 125 was because there was war in our immediate areas. Ukraine is in a desperate situation. Basically, we don’t have the capacity. But to stretch ourselves as far as possible, we said yes to 125. When the state says they don’t want this contribution, then we have to look at it again, said Helgheim.

Janøy, for his part, believes that the matter is about attitudes and values.

– It’s about what kind of city we want Drammens to be. Do we want it to remain an inclusive city? I believe that this rhetoric from FrP contributes to xenophobia and polarization in the area, and residents who do not want to feel welcome. We all watched the Debate, where Ronja Bajalan, leader of the youth party in Drammen, had to defend her own existence. 30 per cent of the inhabitants of Drammen have a multicultural background, and it is a resource that we must take care of.

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Got a challenge

That made Helgheim react immediately.

– Of course, this is just nonsense. It is not true that anyone in either Norway, Drammen or abroad feels that they are not welcome in Drammen. We are among Norway’s most multicultural cities, where everyone feels welcome. These are just feelings, which one uses to create headlines and to pose one’s own generosity. We have to talk about what is the problem here, and the problem is that we want to be a city that takes integration seriously, and not settle more people than we are able to integrate. Then people fall outside. It is not generous, kind or morally right to take in more people than you can handle.

Janøy responded with a clear challenge to Helgheim and the Progressive Party:

– MDG wants more solidarity, more community and cohesion in Drammen. I would actually like to invite you, Helgheim and FRP, to vote for the important and large integration projects we have in Drammen. You have consistently voted against both Fjell2020 and Strømsø 2030, which are full of good integration measures and contribute, among other things, to jobs for young people.

Hope the FRP will be banned

Helgheim also dismissed this as incorrect accusations from the Green Party’s representative.

– This is not true. We have taken some major steps and measures to start better integration work in Drammen. The first thing to do is to curb the influx. It has gone horribly wrong in other places where you have only posed your own generosity in how many people you settle. That is why we have started to curb it, make demands on those who come, and we have been involved in projects that are about inclusion throughout.

Helgheim was also challenged by the debate leader as to whether he and the party would sacrifice influence on things such as care for the elderly, transport and local tax policy if the other parties did not agree to settle zero refugees next year.

– We have a collaboration platform that deals with the vast majority of important matters in Drammen, so we know where we are going. Much of this has already been negotiated in this cooperation platform, and when it says that it is difficult to settle refugees in Drammen, and if that were to happen it would have to be Ukrainians, the answer speaks for itself. When we are not allowed to settle Ukrainians, then the answer must be zero, he believes.

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In conclusion, Janøy was clear about what she wants from the majority parties:

– I think it’s about how the people of Dram have and feel. I don’t think that Helgheim is going to get through for zero refugees, I don’t think he does. I have said and I hope that the majority parties exclude the FRP from the collaboration.