A dry-up of overseas migrants moving to the area is leaving Brazilian oil sector IT expert Ricardo Freidas and tourism-educated Susana Ribero running low on foreign company.
Preliminary Statistics Norway (SSB) figures indicate immigration to the Stavanger region nosedived last year.
Moved from Brazil
Aftenbladet reports approximately 1,000 fewer foreigners moved to the 14 municipalities between Hjelmeland and Hå in 2011 compared with the previous year. Moreover, exodus figures to other parts of Norway remain slightly higher than the influx.
32-year old Ricardo Freidas and Susana Ribero, 31, moved from Brazil two years ago. They presently live on one income whilst she tries to find a job, which is harder without Norwegian language fluency.
They tell the paper, “Maybe more people would have stayed here if they were helped to plan a life as soon as they came?”
“House prices are high and banks require that we have some capital in order to lend us money. However, saving isn’t easy when we have rental expenses of 11,000 kroner per month.”
According to Ricardo Freidas, they would prefer to live in Stavanger. The couple is now trying to secure a start-up loan from Sandnes municipality for a property.
Major problem
Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) advisor, Gustav Svane, believes the region now taking serious account of its infrastructure and traffic problems, as well as high housing prices.
“The reduction [in people moving here] could be because it is difficult for partners and spouses to get jobs and kindergarten places. Stavanger used to have a huge advantage over Bergen and Oslo in terms of house prices, but this has become a major problem now,” he says.
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32-year old Ricardo Freidas and Susana Ribero, 31, moved from Brazil two years. They presently live on one income whilst she tries to find a job, which is harder without Norwegian language fluency.
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