Maria Amelie
Encyclopedia
Madina Salamova, better known by the pseudonym Maria Amelie, is a Russian-born writer and blogger who lived as an undocumented immigrant in Norway between 2002 and 2011. She was deported from Norway
to Russia
on 24 January 2011.
She arrived in Finland
together with her family in 2000 as asylum
seekers. After being turned down for asylum there, they travelled to Norway and filed an application for asylum there in 2002. The application was turned down by Norwegian immigration authorities, and the appeal was turned down by the Norwegian Immigration Appeals Board in 2003. She and her family then filed a lawsuit, but the Oslo
District Court found in favor of the decision of March 2004. After the verdict Maria Amelie and her family went into hiding.
After writing the controversial book Ulovlig norsk (Illegally Norwegian) she was in 2010 named "Norwegian of the year" by the Norwegian news magazine Ny Tid
, because of her contributions to the public debate on the political and social rights of undocumented immigrants in Norway. In 2011, she became the center of a political controversy when she was arrested outside the Nansen Academy
after a speaking engagement, and denied asylum or residency on humanitarian grounds in Norway. The Oslo District Court
originally remanded her into custody until her deportation, but she was released after appealing to Borgarting Appeals Court. The police appealed further to Supreme Court, but the Court rejected the appeal.
The interest from the media after her arrest has been intense. In the first five days after she was arrested, more than 550 articles were written about her in print newspapers, and her name has been frequently mentioned in Norwegian television news broadcasts. Her Facebook
support page has gained more than 88,000 supporters and the Norwegian Amnesty International has its own signature campaign for Maria Amelie that by 23 January 2011 had over 28,000 signatures.
On January 24, 2011, Maria Amelie was deported from Norway to Russia.
Two Iceland
ic politicians submitted a proposal to Alþingi to give her Icelandic citizenship because of Norway's 'inhuman treatment' of her, an offer she has expressed great thankfulness for and which she has describes as a "miracle" and an act which "warms her heart".
On April 16 2011, Maria Amelie returned to Norway after having been granted a work permit.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
on 24 January 2011.
She arrived in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
together with her family in 2000 as asylum
Right of asylum
Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
seekers. After being turned down for asylum there, they travelled to Norway and filed an application for asylum there in 2002. The application was turned down by Norwegian immigration authorities, and the appeal was turned down by the Norwegian Immigration Appeals Board in 2003. She and her family then filed a lawsuit, but the Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
District Court found in favor of the decision of March 2004. After the verdict Maria Amelie and her family went into hiding.
After writing the controversial book Ulovlig norsk (Illegally Norwegian) she was in 2010 named "Norwegian of the year" by the Norwegian news magazine Ny Tid
Ny Tid
Ny Tid is Norway's only international news magazine, published in Newsweek-format every Friday. Politically, its history and editorial line is on the left side of the political spectrum and, until its recent sale, it was founded and owned by the Socialist Left Party of Norway...
, because of her contributions to the public debate on the political and social rights of undocumented immigrants in Norway. In 2011, she became the center of a political controversy when she was arrested outside the Nansen Academy
Nansen Academy
The Nansen Academy the Norwegian Humanistic Academy, is a folk high school in Lillehammer, Norway.It was named after Fritjof Nansen, and established in 1938 by Kristian Vilhelm Koren Schjelderup, Jr. and Anders Platou Wyller...
after a speaking engagement, and denied asylum or residency on humanitarian grounds in Norway. The Oslo District Court
Oslo District Court
Oslo District Court is the district court serving Oslo, Norway. Cases may be appealed to Borgarting Court of Appeal. As the largest district court in Norway, it handles about 20% of all cases in the country...
originally remanded her into custody until her deportation, but she was released after appealing to Borgarting Appeals Court. The police appealed further to Supreme Court, but the Court rejected the appeal.
The interest from the media after her arrest has been intense. In the first five days after she was arrested, more than 550 articles were written about her in print newspapers, and her name has been frequently mentioned in Norwegian television news broadcasts. Her Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
support page has gained more than 88,000 supporters and the Norwegian Amnesty International has its own signature campaign for Maria Amelie that by 23 January 2011 had over 28,000 signatures.
On January 24, 2011, Maria Amelie was deported from Norway to Russia.
Two Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic politicians submitted a proposal to Alþingi to give her Icelandic citizenship because of Norway's 'inhuman treatment' of her, an offer she has expressed great thankfulness for and which she has describes as a "miracle" and an act which "warms her heart".
On April 16 2011, Maria Amelie returned to Norway after having been granted a work permit.