The recent calls for holding a plebiscite on immigration in Norway should be viewed in the context of a fear that the EU may face a repetition of the 2015-2016 refugee crisis, says Norwegian political scientist Jo Jakobsen, who believes a vote is highly unlikely.
On Saturday, Norwegian Progress Party's (FrP) politician Christian Tybring-Gjedde called upon the government to hold a referendum on immigration following Ankara's announcement that it would no longer restrain asylum seekers in its territory from reaching Europe.
According to reports, thousands of refugees have already reached the border of Greece after Ankara kicked off a new military operation in the Syrian province of Idlib in the aftermath of clashes between Turkey-backed jihadist groups and Syrian government forces. The developments in Idlib have raised fears that the EU is facing a new refugee crisis.
It is not the first time that the FRP has cited the necessity of holding a popular vote on immigration. In June 2015, when the EU refugee crisis reached is climax the party voiced the idea while opposing the government's proposal to accommodate thousands of asylum seekers. Norway has not held a nationwide plebiscite since a vote on whether to join the EU in 1994.
As of 2019, Norway's immigrant population amounts to 944,402 people – including both migrants and Norwegians born to immigrant parents – making up 17.7% of the country's total population. This number includes…
