The US immigration policy has changed many times under different administrations. Former president Barack Obama was one of the most influential presidents in shaping immigration policies in the country. However, it seems that current president Donald Trump is determined to erase Obama’s immigration policy immediately.
Trump has taken a somewhat radical stand on immigration. The president has proposed building a wall along the Mexican border and abolishing immigration programs like DACA that provide work permits and citizenship status to immigrants who came to the US as kids. But it was a recent comment by Trump that raised many eyebrows.
The President recently referred to Haiti and a few African nations as “shithole countries” adding that the US will not open its borders to immigrants from these countries. This comment has attracted outrage from global leaders around the world. However, the president has denied making the claims. Trump noted that he had been misquoted and that the mainstream media was spreading ‘fake news.’
Trump has always made it clear where he stands on immigration, and it’s not a position that immigrants from other countries like. But in a recent comment about Norway, Trump confirmed that immigrants from this country were welcomed to the US. The president appeared to designate the country differently as opposed to a “shithole.”
Nonetheless, his advances haven’t been well received by people in Norway. One Norwegian parliamentarian noted that Trump’s sentiment on Haiti and Norway demonstrated lack of even basic understanding of livelihood conditions in both countries.
The movement soon got to social media. Norwegians from all walks of life were expressing their sentiments about what they thought about Trump’s invitation. One Twitter user wrote that he would gladly turn down a move to the US adding that he would not immigrate to a country run like a “shithole.”
Norway is a country that is doing quite well compared to other countries in the world. The oil-rich Scandinavian country has a small population and a robust economy. The country is ranked 1st in human development index with high life expectancy and a high level of income.
The US is also doing well but it’s relatively lagging behind the other ten countries on this list. But Norwegians are also heavily taxed. The country is a welfare state where the government takes charge of providing services to every citizen. Many residents in the country feel that there is a sense of balance and equality among all citizens.
Norway has a predominantly white population, but in recent years, inflows of immigrants have been steadily growing. The country has also maintained very good relations with the US and is one of the key NATO allies. It’s not clear whether Trump’s invitation for Norwegians to come to the US was designed to dilute the outrage generated from his “shithole” comment. However, it is clear that the president has a preference and many experts argue that this is a manifestation of the radical populist conservatism ideology that propelled the billionaire into the White House.
