No Man's Land

Several thousand undocumented asylum seekers live in a limbo situation in Norway because we do not grant them stay permit and they cannot be returned to their country of origin. The majority have fled war and dictatorships, and often their country of origin will not let them return, or it is too dangerous to do so. Being undocumented, they have no rights in Norway. No work permit and no right to health care, regardless of how many years they have remained in this situation. Some have lived in asylum reception centres for as long as 25 years. Some live on the streets. Many have lost all hope for ever getting a normal life, and many feel dead inside. Yemane from Eritrea - one of the portrayed - died at an asylum reception centre in January 2016, after having spent 25 years in this situation. The Norwegian authorities did not believe his identity to be Eritrean until his death, when they returned his body to Eritrea. No Man's Land was exhibited outside the Norwegian Parliament in Oslo in February 2016, in cooperation with Norwegian Centre of Anti-Racism (ARS).