Minja Tea Dzamarija: Evidence matters – shared facts are the foundation of integration

I speak as someone who both lives integration and measures it. The Nordic countries have exceptionally strong register-based data, and as a specialist in migration statistics, I see this as one of our greatest assets. The data allow us to track education, employment, income and health over time with a level of precision that few regions can match. 

However, the statistics alone cannot tell the full story of integration in the Nordics. 

– Belonging, trust, social participation and representation shape how integration is experienced in everyday life. By combining structural and relational data, we move from measuring outcomes to understanding realities, Minja Tea Dzamarija says.

Even though the Nordics share similar welfare models, definitions and approaches to integration differ. It is therefore vital to harmonise data and make it comparable across the Nordic countries.

– Our challenge is not a lack of data, but our limited ability to compare it. Integration challenges are often similar across our countries, but policies and outcomes can vary. By comparing across borders, we can identify what works, learn from one another and distinguish genuinely effective approaches, Dzamarija says. 

This aligns with the ambitions of Vision 2030, adopted by the Nordic Council of Ministers: a socially sustainable, inclusive and connected Nordic region where evidence helps build trust and ensures that everyone has a real opportunity to participate. 

Through Nordic statistical cooperation, important steps have already been taken to harmonise key definitions and produce comparable data. This work needs to be expanded into additional areas to fully support Nordic learning and evidence-based policymaking. 

Integration is not an abstract concept – it shapes real lives 

Minja Tea Dzamarija’s commitment to evidence and inclusion is deeply personal. She arrived in Norway in 1993, fleeing the war in her native Bosnia-Herzegovina. 

– I was devastated by the war, having lost my home, my identity and everything I once was. 

Norway became her new home, and society showed her that she did not have to face her hardships alone. 

– Norwegian society welcomed me, and I had access to the same opportunities as everyone else. That experience showed me the transformative power of community. I have rebuilt a dignified life, pursued my education, raised a family and reconstructed my identity from the ruins of what I lost.

This experience also sparked a political awakening. Minja Tea Dzamarija represents the Labour Party at the municipal and county levels. Her political message focuses on social justice, equality and strengthening the community.

– Integration, belonging and social cohesion are not abstract concepts for me – they are deeply personal. Experiencing displacement and building a new life has shaped my commitment both as a professional and as a politician. I work to ensure that policies and decisions are informed by evidence and lived experience, so that everyone has the opportunity to participate, feel valued and be included in society.

Building the evidence base: Policy should be based on facts – not assumptions 

Minja Tea Dzamarija has worked for Statistics Norway for 25 years. She says this long-term perspective has given her a deep understanding of trends and patterns, and of the importance of reliable evidence in shaping integration policy. 

It has taught me that good policies need to be grounded in solid data but also informed by the lived experiences of people in society. Numbers alone do not tell the full story. Integration is a long-term, two-way process. It often takes years, or even generations, to see the full effects of policies and social support.

In her policy recommendations as a member of the Nordic Migrant Expert Forum, Minja Tea Dzamarija emphasises the importance of guiding integration policy with evidence rather than assumptions. In addition to developing a Nordic-wide integration indicator system that harmonises data, she also emphasises the importance of co-developing research methods with migrant communities.

– This is crucial because it ensures that the data we collect reflects real experiences and priorities, not just what researchers or policymakers assume is important. Meaningful co-development involves engaging communities early in the process. This builds trust, improves relevance and ensures that policies and programmes are informed by both lived experience and statistics. 

Furthermore, she promotes transparency and open data as the basis for trust and accountability in integration policy. 

Open and transparent data shows communities that evidence is not hidden or manipulated. Openness turns data into a tool for collaboration, not just measurement. When migrant communities, civil society and public authorities have access to the same information, it creates a shared understanding. 

Bridging Knowledge and Policy to Strengthen Inclusion Across the Nordics 

As a member of the Nordic Migrant Expert Forum, Minja Tea Dzamarija is ready to contribute her perspective as both a professional in statistics and a politician, bridging evidence and practical policy insight.

– I am especially looking forward to learning from the experiences of other members, sharing knowledge and exploring how different approaches across countries can improve integration and inclusion. 

Her main message is clear: we need comparable data across the Nordics to support a more evidence-based approach to integration. 

– Data allows us to monitor what is working and where gaps remain, but it only becomes useful when it is continuously analysed and acted upon. 

The first concrete steps Nordic policymakers and researchers should take are to continue harmonising key definitions and indicators, expand data collection to include relational and qualitative aspects such as belonging, trust and representation, and ensure that communities themselves are involved in developing these measures. 

The single most important message I would like Nordic decision-makers and the public to understand is that evidence matters. Investing in inclusive policies and comparable, reliable data benefits everyone. Marginalising people is a loss for society, while enabling full participation creates stronger, fairer and more cohesive communities.

Text: Sebastian Dahlström

Foto: Martin Thaulow

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