Norwegian state demands repayment from Moroccan Religious Community

The Norwegian State Administrator (Statsforvalteren) is demanding the repayment of subsidies from the Moroccan Religious Community (Marokkansk Trossamfunn) in Oslo after discovering the organization received funds improperly. The issue arose when individuals discovered they were listed as members of the community, which is based at Masjid Attaouba, despite never having applied for membership.

One individual discovered her membership via the Brønnøysund Register Centre and reported that she had been listed since at least 2020. The community may have received over 7,000 NOK by using her personal identification number for state support. The organization's chairman stated they could not document how the individual became a member, noting that physical registration forms were destroyed after the transition to digital records in 2020.

The State Administrator noted that the community failed to comply with the Religious Communities Act, which mandates free entry and exit for members. While the state verifies the validity of personal identification numbers and residency, current controls do not necessarily verify the legitimacy of the initial membership application process.