They include politicians from one of the government's own coalition parties, the Socialist Left. It opposed moves to make it harder to win asylum in Norway, but party leaders said it was "impossible" to come to terms with its two other government partners, Labour and the Center Party.
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg from Labour and his party colleague Dag Terje Andersen, the minister in charge of immigration issues, said it was "necessary to limit the number of asylum seekers who have no need for protection" in Norway.
He noted that while 6,500 would-be refugees arrived in Norway last year, around 15,000 are expected this year. The country of 4.5 million residents is having trouble absorbing them all.
Stoltenberg and Andersen presented a 13-point plan to tighten asylum policies. Cases will be handled, for example, on an individual basis and asylum won't be automatic simply because an applicant comes from a troubled country.
Norway will also more closely follow other European countries’ asylum policies, and families will only be reunited if a successful asylum seeker undergoes four years of education or work experience in Norway.
The government also intends to send more asylum seekers back to the country where they first sought asylum. Most refugees already have applied for asylum elsewhere before landing in Norway.
'Shocked'
The new policy has caused dissension within the government. "I'm shocked and think this is very uncomfortable," said Rolf Reikvam of the Socialist Left. He referred further questions to party leader Kristin Halvorsen.
Halvorsen confirmed her party disagreed with the government's new policy and said it would exercise its right to dissension when it needed to propose a law change on the family reunification issue.
"It was unfortunately impossible for us to agree on two points, one involving how children would be treated and another regarding how closely we'll follow UN guidelines for refugees," Halvorsen said.
She conceded the disagreement was "very serious," but claimed her party colleagues weren't demanding that SV leave the government because of it.
