Making it happen

The last few days I have been dealing with the Norwegian Directorate for Immigration.

Working in an organization that is changing people's lives by sending them across borders, laws, and barriers set up by a world which is determined on hindering people's chances to build their own life - their own world - is one cool experience. I remember at IPM, one of the most popular ideas for AIESEC to achieve, was an "AIESEC Visa", which [I guess kind of like a Red Cross Visa, or a Diplomatic Visa] would bypass the ridicule of the real world.

Yeah, sure we would all like that... But while dreaming about that we are still dealing with the real world down here on planet earth.

So the Norwegian Directorate for Immigration... UDI

I feel sincerely sorry for the employees of an organization which is basically meant to deal with people as case files and, while having no political power of their own, are obliged to take all the worst kind of negative c*** from everyone else (including me) who obviously don't feel they are doing a good job.

Understaffed, underappreciated, underfunded, lack of ability to attract and retain top talent.

Dealing with everything from Asylum seekers (Europe's and Norway's perhaps most delicate case politically), to students, to specialists, to work immigrants, to family reunions, to war criminals to au-pairs. Relying on Embassies cooperation, when Embassies aren't obliged to listen to UDI at all, as they fall under different jurisdiction (Foreign Department). For sure, being UDI is no easy job. In fact, they are doomed to be disliked.

I feel sincerely sorry for those working there.

But sometimes, frustration bursts out. Waiting for 4 months for cases to be treated is a test of patience. Experiencing that for the second time in the space of 6 months entire cases are lost inside their system, without any explanation or understanding - well. It's a test of civility.

Where is the political will in Europe as a whole to do something about the elephant in the room? About talking about immirgation, foreigners, asylum seekers, our civilization, our culture, our age-problem in sensible terms? Where is our defense of human individual rights? Where is our respect for humanity?

Freedom?

For now: Please UDI - handle our case quickly.