The organisation Christian Intercultural Work (KIA) in Oslo provides training in language, culture, society and working life to immigrant women in Oslo.

The Solberg government – the Conservative Party and the Progress Party – plus the budget friends Venstre and KrF, decided in 2018 that KIA should be allocated NOK 8 million for this work.

But this earmarked state support for the Norwegian education program was abruptly stopped during the Støre government, writes Vårt Land.

“The funds will not be continued as named individual grants in the budget for 2023. The organisations can apply for support through already existing schemes”, was the message from the government.

We didn’t get any warning about what awaited us, didn’t get any time to adjust, says regional manager Rune Fiskerstrand in KIA East.

We had to lay off employees at the start. Now we have to make employees redundant, he says.

Siri Mathiesen, who is acting general secretary of KIA, feels that the Støre government’s major restructuring of grants has one message for many voluntary and non-profit organisations:

“We don’t need all of you.”

The KIA boss says that they are losing the multi-million grant for the Norwegian program because “the authorities want to do this themselves, under municipal auspices”.

Mathiesen now fears the consequences the cuts will have for immigrant women.

Many will not get help to get out of poverty, become good role models for their children or get a job, predicts Mathiesen.