Eritreans who support the regime are stripped of citizenship

In Norway, the migration authority has initiated a process aimed at revoking citizenship from Eritreans who support the regime they claim to have fled from. Similar measures are also proposed in Sweden.

For two years, a group within the Norwegian equivalent of the Migration Agency, the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), has been investigating tips and information about 135 Eritreans living in Norway. The question has been why they were granted asylum and subsequently Norwegian citizenship while supporting the Eritrean regime. Several of the Eritreans under scrutiny have claimed that they fled to escape national service in Eritrea.

Revoking citizenship is possible in Norway if the applicant has knowingly provided false information in their asylum application. During the investigation, they have, among other things, traveled around Oslo and Bergen to speak with sources and examined tips from Eritreans belonging to the opposition.

So far, Norwegian authorities have revoked permits for about 20 individuals, but more cases are pending. The investigations are partly based on the attacks against Eritrean festivals that took place in Bergen two years ago. The same year, an Eritrean festival in Sweden was also attacked.

Norwegian Directorate of Immigration. Photo: Brage.aronsen, CC BY-SA 4.0

Economic migrants

Yuseph Isak has long pressured the Norwegian authorities to scrutinize the individuals who support the regime and does not mince words about what it is really about.

“They fled because they couldn’t live a dignified life, they couldn’t study or cultivate the land, democracy was not at the top of their wish list,” he said at a seminar in Kista in November, as Blankspot reports.

Similar ambitions exist in Sweden, to revoke residence permits and citizenship granted on incorrect grounds.

Golden opportunities in Sweden

A representative of the Network for Swedish-Eritreans in Sweden claims that the proposals to revoke citizenship for individuals participating in activities such as the annual cultural festival are based on misunderstandings.

“Many who came as refugees did not want to come to Sweden. But Sweden enticed them with golden opportunities, and the country has been drained of its youth. Once here, many became isolated and depressed. They later found a community, and then it is important to distinguish between ‘liking one’s country’ and ‘supporting the government.’ Everyone has opinions about the government and its policies. But should a residence permit be revoked for someone who celebrates their country’s national day or waves the Eritrean flag?”