The first thing you do when you reach a new country – besides updating the time on your watch – is getting hold of some telecommunication method.
The most important task was to call my parents.
How do you think an asylum seeker arriving in Norway will contact her or his family and let them know she or he is safe and sound? As a Syrian refugee, when I first arrived in Oslo, the most important task was to call my parents. In the first transit camp (Refstad Mottak) there’s a Wi-Fi connection, but it’s in the "internet room" and there’re so many people trying to connect, you simply can’t get in on your first try.
So here comes the magical solution of MOBILE NETWORK, but even with the simplicity of getting a line today, it’s still hard for new-comers to get a mobile line with no money and no ID. This is where the mobile companies come in.
The driver comes out and start shouting "who wants some lines".
Even if you're an asylum seeker, with no money and no identification, you still can get a mobile line in Oslo, just ask me. I was pacing in Refstad camp’s yard the second day of my glorious arrival in Oslo, when out of the blue comes a car. The driver comes out and start shouting "who wants some lines".
I rushed to ask about this marvelous initiative, when I found out that he was giving away ChiliMobile lines with 25 NOK credit, which means I can call my parent's landline for 25 minutes free of charge. (Note that you can get the same deal from any mobile store or any store that sells ChiliMobile, but you’ll have to pay 50 NOK for it). After a few minutes comes a second car and then a third one, wow! people said. Chess Mobile were there and they were giving a free line as well, but with different offers (300 MB in 4G) for free. Also Lyca mobile showed up.
Ok, that’s all just fantastic, but what do you do when you’re out of mobile credit? Obviously you recharge, but what if you didn't have money?
Fear no more, in Oslo there's a solution for you, just go again to one of the mobile company drivers and ask for a free line, and if he asks did you get one yesterday just say "NOOO man, I did not". If he says "no you did, sorry" I can’t give you a new line, its ok just go to the representative of another company.
Or do as most refugees do, go downtown and search for mobile tents that sells mobile contracts and give lines and offers on behalf of their company, and ask for a free line. They will request an ID, don’t worry they accept your asylum seeker ID (which is not accepted by a lot of people including the night club guards).
When you’re out of Oslo, most likely you’ll not find those free lines anymore.
Now that’s a very nice gesture from those companies right, or is it??
You must realize that when you’re out of Oslo, most likely you’ll not find those free lines anymore, so what do you do then? Well you’ll have to buy credit, and since you’re not a subscriber to a specific package, you’ll end up paying more and more (I used to spend almost 400 kroner a month)Why can’t you get a package you ask? Simply because you don’t have a Norwegian personal number yet.
So you'll keep paying for every minute of calling and for every SMS you’re sending until you have that magical number of yours…
Elijah Salim is a writer, educated in banking & finance. He has taken the Norwegian name Elijah A. Hansen.
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