Norway has granted visas to six Palestinian theatre students from the Freedom Theater in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank after the Immigration Agency (UDI) initially rejected them last week.
During the same period, three of their fellow students with Israeli passports were allowed to enter Norway without visas, Schengen.News reports.
In addition, several Norwegian cultural actors have invited six Palestinian students on a Norwegian tour, during which they will engage in various artistic collaborations.
In a statement released on July 17, the Freedom Theatre said the rejection came after their Norwegian partners Nordic Black Theatre, Karlsøyfestivalen, CrotoniX, Propellen teater, and Motforjesninger submitted an official complaint to the Norwegian authorities.
This unjust action undermines Norway’s core principles of freedom of speech. It deprives Norwegian audiences of the opportunity to experience diverse and enriching performances and hear the first-hand experiences of young artists from Palestine.
Nordic Black Theater has collaborated with The Freedom Theater for many years. Thus, they came to Norway in a week because of their long school cooperation with the Palestinian theatre group.
Freedom Theater & Nordic Black Theater Strongly Condemned Decision to Refuse Visas to Palestinian Students
After many complaints, the Freedom Theatre, Nordic Black Theatre, Karlsøyfestivalen, CrotonicX, and Motforsijninger issued a statement strongly condemning the refusal of visas for six young Palestinian artists. The statement said students from The Freedom Theatre’s professional acting school were scheduled to participate in a month-long tour across Norway this summer.
This is a stark reminder of imposed borders, deferred dreams, and the struggle to amplify our voices amidst the chaos—a new darkness around art and our persistence, another wall encircling us, another closed door. Every moment is a battle for existence; every breath is a defiance.
Palestinian Artists Face Time-Limited Stays in Norway
The Freedom Theater has faced over a decade of attacks from Israel and constant international censorship. In December last year, the Freedom Theater made headlines across Norway as the country’s cultural sector united in horror when the Israeli army ransacked the building in the Jenin camp and took three artists at gunpoint from their homes.
Palestinian artists have experienced visa rejections in several Western countries, including Norway, for several years. Following the tour, the students received visas that gave them residence permits in Norway for four weeks. Despite being granted, the visa still has limitations.