– I want to live in an Alta that has room for diversity
I want to live in an Alta that has room for diversity. A variety of people of different backgrounds and cultures – a society where people with different backgrounds can contribute, participate, and feel belonging. It is therefore important that we pursue an integration policy where we talk about the community – not us and them.
The Labor Party believes that we should have an integration policy where we both make demands and make up, where we take responsibility for people on the run. The welfare state is our most important tool for ensuring good integration. The welfare state is the foundation for us all in Norway to live good lives. More immigrants must have the opportunity to get to work and the community arenas must be strengthened. We set requirements in the introductory program on training in Norwegian language, society and history. Requirements that contribute to good integration into society. If we are to achieve good integration, we must make sure that everyone feels belonging to Alta. This applies to various social arenas such as in kindergarten, school and in sports. It is in everyday life that good integration happens.
Alta Ap, together with a broad majority in the municipal council in Alta, has supported 80 refugees in 2025 – it without Frp. A broad majority for solidarity and basic humanity.
Alta Ap and a broad majority in the municipal council demands the authorities that:
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National authorities must fully finance the costs of reception and settlement of refugees.
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IMDi's policy instrument in the reception municipalities must be strengthened.
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In order to get refugees earlier from reception and resident in the municipalities, the number of reception municipalities should be expanded.
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The supervisory authorities must expel the municipalities more judgment, and be less rigid as municipalities have followed up national recommendations by settling far more refugees than before.
We live in an increasingly troubled world, with war and conflicts in all corners of the world and foremost in the news image are Ukraine and Gaza.
The situation for Ukraine is unclear and can be far worse in the big political dragon fight that takes place. Alta has participated in the national efforts with the settlement of refugees. To this, the authorities must strengthen the municipalities' ability and the opportunity to accept refugees from war and conflict. The situation for Alta and many other municipalities is that there is a lack of key personnel in kindergarten, school and health, and that the housing market is pressured.
We need newcomers to the north to have labor in the future, then we cannot turn our backs on people who want and can contribute. Each one has their resources and skills, and in my view everyone wants to contribute. The solution is not to shut people out – the solution is to invest in people.
At the upcoming municipal council meeting on March 25, we will adopt the Alta municipality's plan for integration 2025-2028. The plan is a comprehensive plan for Alta as a continuation of a previous integration plan 2021 – 2024 and has been prepared by a broadly composed committee including a member of the immigrant council that strengthens the plan. Plan for integration points to six focus areas, settlement of refugees, housing provision, health, kindergarten, primary school and SFO, qualification for work, and everyday integration. For each of the focus areas, goals and strategies have been set to achieve the goals.
Integration can present challenges. We can see from figures from IMDi that only 36.7 per cent of refugees in Alta are employed, and that immigrants also constitute a higher proportion of people living in households with persistent low income. If you do not have the opportunity to belong to the community, we cannot expect them to be a resource for the community. We know that those who get into working life and form networks are integrated faster and become a resource we need.
Violence among youth has been addressed in the media lately, and is a serious problem, but it is not about where you are from or what background you have. It is about outsiders, socio -economic inequalities and prejudices. Frp's attempt to blame for violence among youth in youth with immigrant backgrounds is misleading. Unfortunately, violence among youth will occur. To claim that violence disappears if one does not accept children and young people in crisis situations is wrong. It only appears as a bad attempt from Frp to portray refugees as harmful to the Alta community.
We as elected officials must see the solutions and people, not created issues. In large, we all have a responsibility in everyday life to see each other and to be good fellow human beings regardless of political position. My call is that we should talk to each other, maybe you have an immigrant as a neighbor – invited them to a cup of coffee.
