Reykjavík mayor Dagur B. Eggertsson says the city is ready to accept “hundreds” of refugees, and urges the national government to make a decision soon.
Municipalities from capital-area towns to remote villages have been in touch with the Ministry of Welfare over the past week, all reporting good experiences with the asylum seekers they have accepted in the past, when applicable, and expressing the desire to take in still more. Reykjavík is no exception, RÚV reports, as the mayor has publicly stated the city is ready to accept “hundreds” of refugees.
Dagur stopped short of naming an exact figure, as a ministerial committee is still in talks to work out the grand total number of refugees Iceland will accept and how. He cautioned that the national government should not take “many weeks” to make their decision, as time is of the essence.
As reported, a grassroots popular movement in Iceland has been sending a clear message to the Icelandic government to increase the country’s refugee quota. Over 90% of Icelanders want the country to accept more refugees, and the public pressure has led to the government informing the UN that the country will be increasing the number of refugees will be accepting.
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