Norwegian authorities have expelled 12 foreign nationals from Malaysia and China over the past three months as part of a wider crackdown on illegal Northern Lights tourism in northern Norway, according to public broadcaster NRK and Malaysian media reports.
The expulsions, which began in September, target unlicensed tour operators offering aurora safaris without work permits, insurance or proper safety arrangements. Those expelled are banned from entering Norway, the EU and the Schengen area for two years.
The most recent cases involved seven Malaysians and five Chinese nationals who were stopped in Tromsø, Lofoten, Ofoten, Nordland and Troms, Malaysian newspaper New Straits Times reported, citing Norwegian authorities.
Large sums and safety risks
Norwegian police say the illegal tours have become highly profitable as Northern Lights tourism surges, particularly among Asian visitors.
“Bookings for trips with accommodation, vehicles and guiding services are not free. Large sums of money were changing hands,” said Gudjon Gudjonsson, section leader at the Nordland Police District. In several cases, authorities confiscated illegal earnings of more than 100,000 Norwegian kroner per tour.
According to NRK, all 12 individuals admitted to transporting and guiding tourists for payment without work permits. Many operated using rented seven-seat vehicles or SUVs driven into Norway from Sweden and Finland, while customers were recruited through private social media groups.
Kurt Kolvereid Jacobsen, head of the A-Krim Centre in Nordland, said illegal tour businesses are easy to set up.
“The only thing you need is a seven-seater or an SUV and someone who can drive. Suddenly, you have a Northern Lights safari business,” he said.
Authorities warn that such operations pose serious risks to tourists and undermine legitimate operators. In one incident last winter, tourists sought help on social media after being left for hours in a cold vehicle when they refused to continue a trip in dangerous weather conditions.
Part of a wider enforcement effort
The crackdown is part of a coordinated effort involving police, the Norwegian Tax Administration, NAV and the Labour Inspection Authority to combat labour and tax violations linked to the rapid growth in winter tourism.
When authorities in Troms and Finnmark inspected 44 aurora tour operators last year, regulatory breaches were found at more than half of them, according to NRK.
Northern Norway has seen a sharp rise in international tourism. Figures from Innovation Norway show that paid overnight stays by foreign visitors during the Northern Lights season have more than doubled since 2019, with foreign overnights in October 2024 up 72 percent year-on-year. Asian visitors make up a growing share of first-time tourists.
Malaysian voice in Scandinavia
Commenting on the deportations, Azira Aziz, a Malaysian living in Scandinavia, warned travellers against choosing unlicensed tour operators.
“These tours are illegal. Drivers don’t have permits and tourists have no insurance,” she wrote on social media.
“If anything happens, especially in snowy conditions, tourists may not be protected under the law.”
She stressed that Norwegian authorities are not opposed to tourism, but enforce strict rules to ensure safety and fair competition, advising travellers to check that tour operators are licensed and registered in Norway.
Norwegian police say enforcement efforts will continue throughout the current Northern Lights season as visitor numbers remain high.
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