IOM’s Mission in Norway was established in 2002 upon request of the Norwegian Government. The first programme implemented in Norway was the Voluntary Assisted Return Programme (VARP). VARP is a programme offered to asylum seekers and other irregular migrants in Norway. It aims to provide assistance for those planning to return voluntarily to their home countries.
IOM also facilitates refugee resettlement to Norway and has assisted more than 10,000 refugees to resettle to Norway since 2020. Read more about Resettlement. Before refugees travel to Norway, IOM provides pre-departure cultural orientation sessions for incoming refugees in countries where they are hosted. IOM also conducts “Country Information Seminars” for Norwegian municipalities receiving refugees to inform them about the culture and background of the incoming refugees. This approach is based on the concept of “two-way” integration, to prepare both the refugees and their host communities to contribute to the integration process.
IOM Norway’s office is located centrally in Oslo. Norway is one of IOM’s 175 member states.
