Migrant Training, Integration and Social Inclusion

Norwegian Cultural Orientation Programme (NORCO) 

Through IOM’s Norwegian Cultural Orientation Programme (NORCO), IOM promotes the two-way integration of refugees into their host communities in Norway by enhancing refugees' understanding of the new host society, including societal norms and values and preparing host municipalities for the reception of resettled refugees. The programme is funded by the Norwegian Directorate for Integration and Diversity (IMDi). 

The cornerstone of the NORCO programme is the implementation of Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO) training for quota refugees accepted for resettlement to Norway. These courses provide information about Norway and are held in the country where refugees are hosted before resettling to Norway. Participants are divided into age groups, with different durations and age-appropriate curriculum. 

Another important aspect of the NORCO programme is the provision of Country Information Seminars (CIS) in municipalities receiving quota refugees, intended to inform stakeholders in the receiving municipalities about the countries and cultural backgrounds of refugees resettling in their communities. The seminars cover topics, including the reasons refugees fled from their country of origin, health and security concerns that they may have experienced in transit before coming to Norway, cultural background, and possible integration challenges. 

IOM engages Cross-Cultural Facilitators (CCFs), who live and work in Norway and share the same or similar linguistic and cultural background as the refugees, to deliver PDO courses and Country Information Seminars.  

Since the inception of the programme in 2003 over 23,000 refugees have been provided PDO in Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Iraq, Islamic Republic of Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Malawi, Malta, Nepal, Republic of Türkiye, Romania, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Tunisia, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. 

For further information or to request IOM to facilitate a Country Information Seminar, please contact IOM at iomosloLMI@iom.int  

Pre-Departure Orientation for Migrant Workers 

IOM is collaborating with Rana Utvikling (Rana Development Agency) and Oslo Region to implement a pilot project with the objective to increase the socio-economic integration of migrant workers in Rana and Oslo region, through identifying learning needs of migrant workers, developing a Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO) e-course to address these learning needs, and piloting and monitoring the e-course with migrant workers to understand its effectiveness. 

This e-course will support migrant workers to thrive in their new communities, through access to practical information about life and work in Norway. Course topics will include information about labour rights, the legal system, public services, and the local context, thereby supporting a smoother adjustment period and facilitating integration and long-term contribution in local communities. 

For further information about this pilot project please contact IOM at iomosloLMI@iom.int