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Norwegians say they’d rather stay in world’s happiest country than move to Trump’s U.S.A.

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UN calls Trump’s comments ‘racist’
WATCH: UN calls Trump’s comments ‘racist’ – Jan 12, 2018

OSLO (Reuters) – Many Norwegians rejected on Friday a suggestion by U.S. President Donald Trump that they would be more welcome to move to the United States than immigrants from “shithole countries” such as Haiti or African nations.

WATCH: Trump reportedly says some immigrants are from ‘shithole’ countries, rejects immigration deal

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Trump reportedly says some immigrants are from ‘shithole’ countries, rejects immigration deal

The Nordic country, one of the richest in the world by GDP per capita, was last year named the happiest nation on the planet and is known for a cradle-to-grave welfare state funded in part by large reserves of oil and natural gas.

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READ MORE: Which are the happiest countries in the world? Norway 1st, Canada 7th

Trump mentioned Norway in derogatory comments about other countries of migration as U.S. senators briefed him on Thursday on a newly drafted bipartisan immigration bill, according to two sources who asked not to be identified.

One of the sources who was briefed on the conversation quoted him as saying: “Why do we want all these people from Africa here? They’re shithole countries … We should have more people from Norway.”

WATCH: President Trump refuses to discuss ‘shithole’ comments at MLK day event

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President Trump refuses to discuss ‘shithole’ comments at MLK day event

In one of several Twitter posts on Friday, Trump defended his stance on a bipartisan Senate immigration deal, but denied using the vulgar language ascribed to him.

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“On behalf of Norway: Thanks, but no thanks,” tweeted Torbjoern Saetre, a politician representing Norway’s Conservative Party in a municipality near Oslo.

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Others condemned the U.S. president’s comments as inappropriate or racist.

“We are not coming. Cheers from Norway,” one woman wrote.

READ MORE: Donald Trump’s ‘shithole’ remark: How some U.S. media handled president’s comment

While hundreds of thousands of Norwegians emigrated to the U.S. in the 19th century, just 502 out of a population of 5.3 million people moved there in 2016, down 59 from the previous year, according to Statistics Norway.

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“Will there be more now?” the statistics agency asked in a tweet.

Government officials, seeking to deflect attention, turned down a chance to comment. “We respectfully decline the opportunity,” one government official said when contacted by Reuters.

WATCH: Trudeau won’t comment on Trump’s ‘shithole’ comment

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Trudeau won’t comment on Trump’s ‘shithole’ comment

The reference to Norway may have been prompted by Prime Minister Erna Solberg who visited the White House on Wednesday when the president praised Norway for running a trade deficit with the United States and for buying U.S. military equipment.

Christian Christensen, an American professor of journalism at Stockholm University in neighboring Sweden, tweeted:

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Before the “shithole” controversy, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt tweeted that, judging by Solberg’s visit, “keys to success with Trump is personal charm, a solid trade deficit with the U.S. and buying tons of U.S. military hardware.”

WATCH: Fox News host Tucker Carlson defends President Trump’s ‘shithole’ comments

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Fox News host Tucker Carlson defends President Trump’s ‘shithole’ comments

Solberg, whose office also declined to comment on Trump’s remarks, is expected to announce soon an expansion of her cabinet to include Norway’s Liberal Party, a centrist group that favors strong environmental policies and more immigration.

“The first point of order in the new government declaration: Norway will still not be a shithole country,” tweeted Kjetil Alstadheim, the political editor of financial daily Dagens Naeringsliv.

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