The Norwegian government claims to have reached millions of potential asylum seekers with its international awareness campaign. Depicting the local population as xenophobes was one of the tools used.

According to the Norwegian Justice Ministry’s own figures, pages with targeted messages and documentary films persuading potential refugees to stay at home have attracted 11.5 million visitors with the footage being viewed 21 million times. The government-funded campaign still rolls on in English, French, Tigrinya, Dari and Pashto, the Norwegian daily Klassekampen reported.

According to Jan Paul Brekke, a senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Social Research, this is the first time the government is communicating directly with potential asylum seekers via social media. The documentary used in the campaign featured dramatic images from the route in Europe used by human smugglers, while a voiceover narrates that many have lost or ended up being exploited on the road. The main message is that if you seek asylum in Norway with the sole goal of becoming better off financially, you are unlikely to obtain a residence permit.

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