Eritrean diaspora engagement and its impact on European democracies
UDI has shared five decisions on the revocation of residence permits with the project leader at Christian Michelsen Institute (CMI), Jessica Schultz. The decisions have been redacted, which means that information that could directly identify a person has been removed.
You can find information about the project on the home page of Christian Michelsen Institute (external website, opens in new window).
The purpose of processing personal data is to carry out this research project. Revoking residence permits is an important tool for addressing transnational repression. While many people support this measure, some members of diaspora communities experience it as stigmatising, especially those who are not openly critical of the regime in their country of origin.
A review of Norway's practice of revoking residence permits for Eritrean citizens may provide a better understanding of how these cases are assessed. It may also help build trust in the asylum system and in Norwegian authorities among minority groups. In addition, the research may lead to more relevant recommendations by examining both the benefits and the drawbacks of using immigration law to address transnational repression.
UDI believes that the project will have significant value for society. There is a need for more knowledge about transnational repression and about how to protect the rights of asylum seekers while also dealing effectively with challenges related to transnational repression.
We believe that the benefits to society clearly outweigh the privacy risks. Because the decisions have been redacted, it would be very difficult, and most likely impossible, to identify the people concerned. This is one of the reasons why we believe that giving a researcher access to these decisions as part of a broader study is justified despite the limited impact on personal privacy.
The project will process personal data until 30 September 2027.
All personal data will be deleted from CMI's systems within three months after the project ends, that is, by 30 December 2027. The case documents will be permanently deleted from the project's servers and will not be recoverable.
The case documents will not be linked with information from other sources.
People who may be affected by this disclosure can contact UDI for information about it. We have not kept copies of the redacted decisions that were shared with the researcher.