Question about the Norwegian view of the Romani (from a Romani)

Well, if you really want to find out, stay outside in Oslo late-ish on weekdays and you'll quite easily spot the guys in suits collecting money from the beggars downtown. It's quite horrid.

Why are beggars horrid? Is that the worst Norway has to offer?

The people in question are dirt poor and there's no way they'd get to Norway on their own. The people they collect money for are the people who transported or smuggled them into the country. If they got a proper job, they might not be able to pay them or the gov't might get a better insight in the flow of money, thus justifying a bust on the criminals behind it all.

Why doesn't Norway do something about it?

Some say it's because we're naïve, some say it's because we're too kind, but, really, it's politics. Norway has an international reputation as accepting and socialist, but if we tightened our borders to refugees it would hurt our reputation and by extension, our trade and shipping income.

Well I object to Norway being called socialist, but judging by this thread, most Norwegians can be quite mean. Not you, but a lot here.

Exactly, stuff like that. I have friends who can't afford that kind of living... But that part about the military isn't true: it's obligatory to apply to the army, but you can basically say "Hi, I don't want to join the army." and leave it at that. Even if you don't, you won't go to prison. Worst case scenario, you get a letter saying you're banned from joining the army.

Lol, so it's kind of like here. We all have to register, but no one forces us to go. But we don't even have to attend recruitment meetings anymore, not in most states anyway.

Far from it. People from Spain and Portugal look Latino or slightly African, Russians look Russian, Turks look middle eastern and people from most of Eastern Europe look like a mix of the last two. It's only us Finno-Scandinavians that fulfill that stereotype.

Well then my mistake :P

/r/Norway Thread Parent