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SAMI

How the government’s Norwegianisation policies harmed indigenous people in Norway

The Norwegianisation of the Sami and Kvens has had severe consequences, which are being felt to this day, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's report has found.

Pictured is a Sami reindeer herder.
A commission has revealed the harmful impact that Norwegianisation has had on indigenous people. Pictured is a Sami reindeer herder. Photo by Nikola Johnny Mirkovic on Unsplash

Beginning in the 1700s, the Norwegian government carried out the official policy of Norwegianisation, which aimed to assimilate the non-Norwegian-speaking population into an ethnically and culturally uniform society.

The policy was initially targeted at the Sami people of northern Norway but later also directed towards the Kvens. On Thursday, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission delivered its report on the policy and its impacts to Norway’s parliament.

“Norway does not have a history to be proud of when it comes to the treatment of minorities,” Dagfinn Høybråten, who chaired the commission, said of the report’s findings.

The policy aimed to suppress the language and cultural practices of several minorities. There are around 80,000 Sami, 15,000 Kvens and 10,000 Forest Finns in Norway today.

“Norwegianisation policies and injustice have profoundly negative consequences for the group’s culture, language, health and traditional industries. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s investigation shows that Norwegianisation has affected much more widely and has been more intrusive in more areas of society than previously known. Children and young people, in particular, have been affected by Norwegianisation measures throughout the history of Norwegianisation,” the commission said in a statement.

The report said that more needed to be done to increase the awareness and knowledge of the culture of the Forest Finns, Sami and Kven.

The Sami have traditionally been involved in semi-nomadic reindeer herding, fishing, fur trapping and sheep herding. They speak the Sami languages; there are around ten different Sami languages. The Kvens are descended from Finns who emigrated to the northern parts of Finland, Sweden and Norway. Only in 2005 was the Kven language recognised as a minority language in Norway.

Forrest Finns are the ancestors of Finnish migrants who settled in the forested areas of Sweden and Norway. Their language became extinct in the mid-20th century.

Indigenous people continue to face discrimination in Norway today. Last August, a report from the Norwegian Institution of Human Rights found that 11 percent of residents held negative attitudes towards the Sami and that hate speech against the group was widespread.

“The commission hopes that the report itself will increase the knowledge base of the entire population and that the proposals for measures will be followed up as a contribution to a continued reconciliation process. This will be a challenge for both the Storting and for national, regional and local authorities and the rest of society,” the commission writes.

President of the Norwegian Parliament, Masud Gharahkhani, has said that Commission’s report confirms Norway’s failures towards minorities and indigenous peoples.

“How good we are at protecting indigenous peoples and our minorities is one of the most important signs of whether we live up to our duties and values. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was appointed because we realised that we as a society have failed in that task. Today we get serious confirmation of this,” he said.

The commission was initially set up in 2018, with the report taking five years to finalise.

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TAXES

Who will be affected by Norway’s new exit tax and how will it work?

Norway's government is moving forward with plans to enact stricter tax regulations for people leaving the country. The Local contacted the Ministry of Finance to find out the details.

Who will be affected by Norway's new exit tax and how will it work?

A new exit tax is in the works, the Norwegian government announced recently. 

READ MORE: What we know so far about Norway’s plans for an exit tax

The proposed changes aim to close loopholes within the existing tax system, particularly concerning the taxation of gains made on shares while residing in Norway and moving assets abroad.

Under the proposed regulations, those who have left Norway after March 20th, 2024, would be subject to taxes on gains of more than 500,000 kroner that they have accrued while in Norway. 

This move comes as part of the government’s efforts to address a recent outflow of wealth from the country, with Switzerland being a popular destination for tax exiles from Norway.

READ MORE: Why Norway has continued to see an exodus of wealthy residents

Who would be affected – and how would it work?

The new tax would affect both foreigners and locals – as long as they’re tax resident in the country, State Secretary Erlend Grimstad at the Ministry of Finance told The Local.

“The Norwegian exit tax rules, both the current ones and the ones being proposed, would affect natural persons who are tax residents in Norway,” he said.

The tax settlement process upon departure from Norway would require people to address their tax obligations related to gains exceeding 500,000 kroner on shares acquired during their time in Norway.

Emigrants would have several options for fulfilling this tax obligation, including immediate payment, interest-free instalments spread over 12 years, or deferred payment with accrued interest.

“Exit tax on shares will be imposed on individuals who terminate their tax residence in Norway, either according to Norwegian tax law or the applicable tax treaty.

“The rules also apply when an owner resident in Norway transfers shares as a gift to a person resident outside Norway,” Grimstad said, further noting that the new rules would only apply if the deemed net gain at the time of departure or transfer exceeded 500,000 kroner.

When could the new rules enter into force?

The consultation period for the new exit tax proposal began on March 20th and will last until May 21st, 2024. Thus, stakeholders and the public will have the opportunity to provide feedback and insights for the next two months.

Following this period, the proposal will undergo review and potential adoption by the Norwegian parliament (Storting), with the government needing majority support for implementation.

READ MORE: Does Norway really have some of the highest taxes in the world?

However, if the rules are passed, they will apply from March 20th, 2024, Grimstad told The Local.

“This is necessary to counteract tax adaptations in the time between publication of the proposal and adoption of the changes in the Storting,” he said.

The reasoning behind the new exit tax

Commenting on the exit tax developments last week, Norwegian Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum said that it was important to uphold the principle of fairness in the taxation process, noting that people should contribute taxes on assets accumulated in Norway.

However, the proposed regulations also include provisions for those intending to return to Norway within the 12-year timeframe, ensuring that their tax liability would be adjusted accordingly.

“When you relocate, it’s only fair that you contribute taxes on what you’ve earned or gained in Norway. However, this process must be reasonable, hence the 12-year rule. Some people may wish to reside abroad temporarily and eventually return home,” Vedum said at the time, according to the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK).

The proposed exit tax would extend beyond shares to include gains from share savings accounts and fund accounts. Additionally, transfers of shares with subsequent gains to people residing abroad, such as relatives, would trigger the tax if gains exceed 100,000 kroner, a reduction from the previous threshold of 500,000 kroner.

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