Listhaug Pressures Søreide on Citizenship Rules

Progress Party leader Sylvi Listhaug is pressing newly re-elected Conservative Party figure Ine Eriksen Søreide to support stricter citizenship requirements. Listhaug and fellow MP Erlend Wiborg have introduced a representative proposal—meaning it is put forward by sitting members of the Storting—that will go to a vote this spring. The proposal calls for major tightening of Norway’s naturalization rules, including denying citizenship to anyone convicted of crimes carrying at least 90 days of unconditional prison time. Currently, applicants must have lived in Norway for eight out of the last eleven years with permits valid for at least one year. Criminal records already trigger waiting periods, but Listhaug argues this isn’t enough. She points out that between 2021 and 2024, Norway granted nearly seven times more citizenships than Denmark, calling the current system fundamentally flawed. The party also wants to eliminate all existing exceptions to citizenship requirements and insists that only those fully self-sufficient through earned income—not public benefits—should qualify. Wiborg stated that foreigners who commit serious crimes should be deported, not rewarded with citizenship. He added that their proposal could make Norway less attractive to asylum seekers by extending the path to citizenship. While acknowledging some non-Western immigrants integrate well, citing India and Sri Lanka as examples, he stressed that cultural and educational alignment eases integration. The Conservatives’ first deputy leader, Henrik Asheim, responded by inviting dialogue, noting Listhaug attended their national meeting dinner and affirming shared ground on tightening immigration and integration policies.