What Alternative Do I Have?: Syrian Immigrant Entrepreneurs and Interest-Based Financing in Norway

Abstract

Syrian refugee entrepreneurs in Norway navigate a financing and support system that they find largely exclusive and unaccepting when it comes to launching and operating a new business. Using a case study of a Syrian Muslim immigrant entrepreneur and a lecture on the topic by a religious leader in a major mosque in Oslo, this paper utilizes a theoretical framework on moral economies and entrepreneurship to argue that there is a “mismatch” between the interests and needs of Syrian entrepreneurs for financial and social support, with the extremely limited offerings available in Norway. This leaves the entrepreneurs challenged to navigate the financial and moral issues on their own. The paper explores four key policy implications along the way that would enhance the possibilities for Muslim immigrant entrepreneurs to access and utilize financial and social support for opening and running a business in Norway. The paper concludes by linking the financial exclusion experienced by the Syrian entrepreneurs to their broader experiences attempting to integrate and become a positive part of Norwegian society through entrepreneurship, which is challenged in this context of exclusion.