- We need to lug spies on the first flight home

Jenny Klinge (Sp) want people who are caught in refugee espionage to be sent out of the country.

Parliament

Norwegian politicians reacted strongly to allegations that authoritarian regimes threatening and spying on their countrymen who have fled to Norway.

Refugee Espionage

• The purpose of refugee espionage is to undermine, neutralize or eliminate political opposition through monitoring, controlling or threatening regime critics in exile.
• Between five and ten countries will be involved in such activities in Norway.
• Approximately 20 cases have refugee espionage is reviewed annually and the numbers are increasing.
• There are probably many unrecorded and refugee espionage is difficult to prove.
• Only one person is convicted of espionage refugee in Norway, but the judgment is not final.
• Refugee Espionage under the Penal Code section 91a, and is punishable by two years in prison.
• Source: PST and NRK.

Thursday told Norwegian history of refugees who claim Iran has extensive pressure and monitoring of exile iranians in Norway. Iranian Embassy in Norway denies his side any involvement in such refugee espionage.
While confirming PST that they have seen an increase in the number of cases in recent years as concerns that more authoritarian regimes try to control compatriots who fled to Norway through its own agents and by threatening asylum seekers to become informants.

FRP: - PST have few resources and prioritize

- This must have consequences. It can not be that someone is violating Norwegian law and international conventions systematically year by year. It is serious for Norway as a nation, and a signal that in Norway you can do whatever you want without consequences, says Mazyar Keshvari, parliamentary candidate of FRP, and who himself is a refugee from Iran.
- What can politicians do?
- Give PST resources and tools to do their job. It's not that the PST will not do their job, but they do not have the resources. It is also about skills and proper crew. Then also this precedence of the top political leadership, responding Keshvari.

• Read also: How does Iran in Norway

H: - We need to have a better overview of the reception centers

Conservative Michael Tetzschner says to NRK that it is worrying if it takes intelligence and infiltration in Norwegian asylum centers.
- It's basically illegal actions, and then we will have to also react to the actions to come. This shows that it is very important to keep track of who's in these departments, he said.
Parliamentary politician proposes purely administrative measures where there is something bigger list of who's coming and going, their background and specific deployment of people who you think might be a risk zone.
- What do you think about the claim that espionage is through embassies?
- It's a big difference between countries that respect human rights and those not taking it so carefully, and then they are not reluctant to use diplomatic representations of the mapping that we're on here, says Tetzschner, who believes we must rely that PST does its job in this area.

Q: - Send perpetrators on the first plane home

- It is totally unacceptable and terrible for those involved, says Jenny Klinge, who is the Centre Party member of the justice committee in Parliament.
- We must do everything we can with the problem in order to avoid the risk of those who live and have family Childers in the country
- But what do you do with it?
- I have confidence that the PST handles the problem as best they can, but I think that if they discover that an embassy driver of organized espionage and surveillance against people who stay in Norway, so we should simply dragging them on the first plane home , then they have nothing in this country to do, says Klinge.
She says it's important that democratic countries allow for them to pursue regime criticism of our country against regimes that are undemocratic and violent.

RE: - More policing and diplomatic pressure

SV member of the Justice Committee, Akhtar Chaudhry, says refugee espionage mentioned are unacceptable:
- It's upsetting to hear about this. People should be safe in Norway regardless of whether they come from Ethiopia, Iran and Notodden.
- Norwegian authorities are being urged to look into what the Iranian embassy doing. Is there something you're going to do something?
- I'm pretty sure that Norwegian authorities are doing it already, but this must be intensified, for so long a Norwegian citizen being monitored on Norwegian soil by foreign governments, then we have a job to do. Everyone should feel safe on Norwegian soil.
- How can Norwegian authorities be improved to solve this problem?
- I think this must be a continuous effort and that we must reinforce both police purposes, but also diplomatically. We must make representations to Iran and make them aware of, and demand that if the refugee espionage progress, there must be an end to it. So we have to use the police to find those evtuelt do this and take perpetrators to court, says SV Parliament.

AP: - Going to take up the matter with the Foreign Ministry

Labour's representative on the Standing Committee on Justice, Jan Bohler, feeling even more Iranians, and know that refugee espionage is a real problem. He thinks the matter Broadcasting Corporation reviews is "chilling" and "outrageous."
- We must do our best to protect refugees. We must therefore ensure that the PST does his best, and we also use the tools we have when it comes to responding to the embassies, says Bohler.
He says Norwegian authorities also may respond formally to the Iranian embassy if they get enough good evidence that it operated refugee espionage, but that this case must go through the State Department.
- What are you going to do about the problem?
- I'll definitely see what we can do about it. I'm sure it's the same attention to this at the Foreign Ministry, and I will contact them later to see how we can follow up your case, says Bohler.

• Camilla Wernersen camilla.wernersen@nrk.no
• Ellen Viseth Ellen.Viseth@nrk.no
• Ingrid Arnesen Wilberg Ingrid.Wilberg.Arnesen@nrk.no

• ARE YOU EVEN TOUCHED IN THIS CASE, OR DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS IT? TIP U.S.! E-mail: 03030@nrk.no | PHONE: 03030

Mazyar Keshvari (FRP) are themselves refugees from Iran and believes PST must prioritize the problem of interference of authoritarian powers on Norwegian soil.

FRP

Michael Tetzschner (H) believe the administration at reception centers should be strengthened to detect pressure on asylum seekers from the country they fled from.

Parliament

- As long as a Norwegian citizen being monitored on Norwegian soil by foreign governments, then we have a job to do. Everyone should feel safe on Norwegian soil, says Akhtar Chaudhry (SV).

Photo: Aas, Erlend / Scanpix

January Bohler (Ap) says he wants to take the matter up with the State Department.

Parliament