The medical records of 44 immigrant patients who received treatment at a rehabilitation centre between 1980 and 1985 have been reviewed. The average age of the patients was 41 years. Pain was a universal complaint, and depressive--asthenic symptoms were also frequent. Disability occurred on average about ten years after immigration. There was a low degree of fluency in Norwegian. Results of rehabilitation were disappointing in the majority of cases, with 60% having gained a disability pension and only 16% in work in November 1987. Conventional rehabilitative efforts seem to have little influence on this kind of disability.