Somalis most satisfied immigrants in Norway

OSLO, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Somali immigrants are more satisfied than other immigrants in Norway, even though they have the worst financial situation and living conditions, newspaper Aftenposten reported Tuesday.

"As long as they have food and roof over their heads, most people are satisfied. Somalis are used to living tight - family is not a burden, but a pleasure," Safia Abdi Haase told Aftenposten.

Fresh survey from Statistics Norway (SSB) has shown that individuals with an immigrant background in Norway have poorer conditions in terms of employment, working environment, housing standards, health and social contact than the average of the population.

However, immigrants are equally as happy with life, housing and work as others.

Although Somalis are the immigrant group with the lowest living standards, they seem to be most satisfied with life -- actually much happier than the average in Norway, the research has showed.

Somalis also stand out with fewer mental or physical ailments and claim to be less lonely than other immigrant groups.

"One might think that one of the reasons why they are more satisfied may be related to high scores on the more soft values - they have a good social network, are little bothered with loneliness and feel great belonging to Norwegian society," Kjersti Stabell Wiggen, survey project leader in Statistics Norway told Aftenposten.

Another reason why immigrants from Somalia are satisfied in Norway can be low material expectations, considering their background from a poor, war-torn country.

"Immigrants from Somalia belong to the highest proportion of immigrants that live in cramped conditions. But not everybody thinks that they live in cramped conditions: about half the number of people experience that their home is small," Stabell Wiggen said. Enditem