Refugee settlement is regularly contested among local governments in Norway who have full autonomy to accept or reject the state's request that they receive a certain number of refugees. Here the author studies how local administrative and political processes may account for the responses of 14 cities-seven receptive and seven restrictive-in multi-level governance settings. Are the decisions to accept or reject the state's petition driven by the city administrations or by political parties in the city council? and how may local issue framing explain the outcomes? The data indicates that the administrative framing of refugee settlement is paramount for activating certain political patterns, and for instigating a majority in favour of the administrative motion. Generally, the majority of the parties adhere to the administration's economic arguments; however, council debates are also prompting considerable symbolic politics in favour of receiving refugees. © The Author 2016.

Local government Norway issue framing Refugee-settlement Local politics

political process local government autonomy refugee Norway party politics settlement pattern