A video camera was recently set up at Fit Hostel to follow the activities of asylum seekers living there, without their consent.
DV reports that the camera was placed in the common area of the hostel, so that the hostel owners and other staff could watch refugees while they ate, watched TV, and had conversations.
Red Cross Iceland, which works closely with asylum seekers, raised concerns about the camera, and it was summarily taken down by management. It is unknown for how long the asylum seekers lived under surveillance.
By law, it is forbidden to set up surveillance equipment in peoples’ homes. Fit Hostel is classified as a temporary shelter for asylum seekers, but the hostel owners apparently did not check with their municipal authorities nor the Red Cross before setting up the camera.
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