The FrP politician’s recent book, “Mot min vilje (Against my will)” leads to a new debate before Christmas. According to Aftenposten’s report, Sandberg writes Norway should not waste resources for educating immigrant girls. He argues in his book that they pick spouses in parents’ homeland and drop job.

– We have long been proud of the relatively high number of girls with immigrant backgrounds who do well in the Norwegian education system, but the fact is that it is largely wasted, writes Sandberg.

He justifies his viewpoint by arguing that they stay at home by producing children, when the girls get married to someone from their home country.

The first reaction to Sandberg’s statements in the book comes from Socialist Left Party (SV)’s experienced politician, Karin Andersen. Talking to Aftenposten, Andersen says that Sandberg twists many facts relating to immigrants and accuses him of pretending as if he is concerned about these girls.

– If he were concerned, he would see education gives girls the power and authority over their own lives. Education is no guarantee against being under pressure, but it is essential to “free” themselves, she says to Aftenposten.

About Sandberg

Per Sandberg is a Norwegian politician for the Progress Party who has been Minister of Fisheries since December 16 2015. He has been a member of the Norwegian parliament since 1997, and served as chair of the parliamentary standing committees on Justice, and Transport and Communications. He has been the first deputy leader of the Progress Party since 2006.

As an outspoken veteran politician, Sandberg has stoked controversy on numerous occasions. In 2002 he proposed a complete stop of immigration from countries outside the Schengen Area (Dagbladet).

In 2003, Sandberg stated that “different races, religions and cultures must not be mixed” if there are to be a “harmonious society in Norway”, leading to strong reactions from other politicians. The same year he also proposed to introduce electronic tags on asylum seekers to stop them from escaping while their asylum application is processed. (Morgenbladet)

In 2007 Sandberg accused Al Gore of being “a big fraud”, a “Christian-fundamentalist” and “super-capitalist who have earned over 600 million NOK on the climate cause”.(Dagbladet)