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Norway’s Scrutiny of Eritrean Asylum Claims Raises Alarms as Citizenship Revocations Increase
Written by Contributor
Norwegian authorities have intensified investigations into Eritrean nationals accused of providing false information during their asylum process, a development that has placed 135 Eritreans at risk of losing their citizenship after more than eight years of residence in the country. The move reflects a broader shift in European policy toward diaspora groups alleged to be influenced by the Eritrean government or the ruling Popular Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ).
A Two-Year Investigation Rooted in Diaspora Tensions
The current wave of scrutiny reportedly began nearly two years ago, following violent clashes between the anti-regime group Birged Nehamdu and Eritrean government supporters in Oslo and Bergen. Similar confrontations have been documented across Europe and North America in recent years, often linked to disputes over the Eritrean government’s reach within the diaspora.
Norway’s inquiry, according to BBC Amharic, has focused primarily on individuals who were granted asylum on the basis of persecution—including claims of forced military conscription, arbitrary detention, and repression—but later appeared publicly aligned with, or supportive of, the Eritrean government.
Under Norwegian law, both residency permits and citizenship can be revoked if authorities determine that an individual secured asylum through false claims. The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) is expected to evaluate pending appeals in early 2026.
Growing Government Measures Against Alleged Transnational Repression
The investigation into Eritrean nationals is part of a broader governmental effort to confront what Oslo identifies as “transnational repression.” In March 2024, the Norwegian Parliament adopted a framework for a national action plan aimed at countering foreign governments’ efforts to influence or intimidate diaspora communities.
Eritrea’s government, in particular, has been under long-standing scrutiny in Europe due to its highly centralized political system, the indefinite national service program, and the reported use of diaspora networks to mobilize financial and political support. Key concerns highlighted in parliamentary discussions include:
The compulsory 2% diaspora tax, collected by Eritrean diplomatic missions and community organizations.
Infiltration of diaspora associations by pro-government operatives.
Threats, harassment, and exclusion targeting Eritreans who decline to support the PFDJ.
As part of these efforts, Norway has taken targeted action against prominent PFDJ-linked individuals. One high-profile case involved the revocation of citizenship from the chairman of a Young PFDJ (YPFDJ) chapter in Bergen, who reportedly fled Eritrea in 2013 but later became a visible supporter of the regime.
Wider European Concerns and Parallel Actions in Sweden
Norway is not acting in isolation. Across Europe, governments have been reassessing their engagement with Eritrean diaspora institutions amid concerns about coercion, influence operations, and human rights violations.
In Sweden, authorities recently suspended nearly $85 million in annual funding to the Sweden-based Eritrean Orthodox Church after intelligence services suggested the institution may be complicit in violations against Eritrean diaspora communities, including potential coordination with Eritrean state structures. The church has firmly denied the allegations and pledged to legally challenge the suspension.
Citizenship Revocations and Residency Losses
Beyond the group facing citizenship revocation, reports indicate that:
20 Eritreans have already lost their residency permits, and
around 30 others remain under investigation, also in connection with allegedly misleading asylum applications and subsequent political affiliations.
What precisely constitutes “support” for the Eritrean government remains unclear. Norway does not prohibit diaspora communities from expressing political loyalty to their country of origin. Instead, authorities argue that asylum seekers who later align themselves with the government they claimed to have fled undermine the credibility of their original testimonies.
UDI officials maintain that in many of these cases, the declarations of persecution—including claims of forced conscription and political repression—were later found to be “incorrect.”
A Community Under Pressure
Despite ongoing tensions and scattered resistance abroad, Eritrea’s government continues to command significant support among parts of the diaspora. That support, however, has increasingly collided with the policies of European states seeking to curb what they view as foreign interference.
For Eritrean communities in Norway, the current investigations represent not only a legal challenge but also an identity crisis—caught between the politics of their homeland and the expectations of their host country.
As the appeals process moves forward in 2026, the cases are likely to fuel a broader debate across Europe over asylum integrity, diaspora politics, and the limits of state intervention in transnational community affairs.
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