The Norwegian government has deported 15 migrants with ties to Islamic State, withdrawing their residency permits.
Four of those deported saw their decisions come since May and according to Justice Minister Jøran Kallmyr, the vast majority of those deported were either Islamic State fighters or women who bore children to members of the terror group, NRK reports.
“They have been abroad for more than two years after leaving Norway. So there is an opening in the asylum rules so that we can withdraw the residence permit,” Kallmyr said.
Around 100 Norwegians travelled overseas to fight for radical Islamic terror groups, 60 of which were foreign nationals with Norwegian residency.
Since May, the Norwegian government has actively stripped Islamic State members of their residency permits as opposed to the prior policy of simply waiting for them to expire. The previous policy also forced Norway to take in foreign fighters.
The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) has actively worked with the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) to determine those with an affiliation to Islamic terror groups, Kallmyr said and added that the PST had sent a list of around 40 foreign fighters to the agency.
“We will make sure that no one in this portfolio can return to Norway. There is still some information gathering that remains. Many are believed to be dead, but since we do not have verification that they have died, we will expel them as well,” Kallmyr added.
The Norwegian approach to Islamic State fighters is in stark contrast to that of neighbouring Sweden.
Earlier this year, Swedish terrorism expert Magnus Ranstorp suggested Sweden refuse to allow in Islamic State members because unlike Norway, there were few laws to enable their prosecution once back in the country.
Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Löfven has also refused to consider the idea of stripping the citizenships from Islamic State members, a policy which the UK has used on both “Jihadi Jack” Jack Letts and ISIS bride Shamima Begum.