Maria Amelie

Maria Amelie arrived in Norway with her family as an asylum seeker in 2002, at the age of 16. After their application for refugee status was denied, the family went into hiding. In 2010, Maria published the controversial book Illegally Norwegian, which sparked a national debate on immigration and the rights of undocumented migrants. As a result, she was deported to Russia.

Her courage in addressing these difficult issues led to her being named 'Norwegian of the Year' by the magazine Ny Tid.

After her deportation, Maria Amelie was the ICORN resident in Krakow for a year. In 2011, she was invited to return to Norway on a work permit, allowing her to continue her writing and advocacy.