The Roma population in Norway consists of 500 members, who first settled during the late 1800s. In 1934 they were refused re-entrance to the country after an extended trip in Europe, despite the fact that they had Norwegian passports. As a result almost the entire Norwegian Roma population died in consentration camps during World War II. The remaining family members illegally returned to Norway in the mid-fifties, though they were officially denied access.
Today they are accepted as Norwegian citizens, with a majority living around Oslo during the winter months. In summer, they travel and live at campsites around Scandinavia and Europe. Since many are members of the Pentecostal Church, religious meetings are important to socialize and keep their own culture, language and identity without becoming «too Norwegian». Many Romas are illiterate due to low education, and do not participate in working life. Discrimination and exclusion often happens in restaurants and campsites or in the society in general. For this reason, they rarely travel in Norway anymore.
Anne-Stine Johnsbråten (b.1983) has a BA in photojournalism from Oslo Univeristy College in addition to education at Norwegian Photo School in Trondheim. She divides her time between freelancing for different newspapers and magazines, working on long-term projects and studying social antropology. She has received a grant from Freedom of Expression Foundation in Oslo for the project about the Roma population. The pictures have been exhibited at the group show «Norwegian Documentary Photography» at Henie Onstad in Oslo, and published in the photo book with the same title. Anne-Stine's Roma-project is work in progress.
