Reykjavík Will Start Accepting Asylum Seeker Families

Reykjavík will be welcoming 90 asylum seekers, and will for the first time include whole families as well as individuals.

RÚV reports that the City of Reykjavík signed the agreement with the Directorate of Immigration this morning. The agreement is a continuation of a partnership that began two years ago.

In 2013, the capital made an agreement with the Directorate to start housing asylum seekers, the majority of whom are usually housed in Fit Hostel in Keflavík. The number of asylum seekers Reykjavík agreed to accept has steadily increased, but this year marks the first time families are included in the agreement – up until now, only individuals were accepted.

Directorate director Kristín Völundardóttir, while welcoming Reykjavík’s generosity, added that more still needs to be done.

“The number of people who are coming to this country is beyond expectations, if I can put it that way, and I expect we will need to make more agreements very quickly to handle the stream [of asylum seekers] who are coming,” she said.

The Directorate is currently processing 120 asylum seeker applications. Negotiations with Hafnarfjörður over how many asylum seekers they will accept are pending.

Meanwhile, Reykjavík Mayor Dagur B. Eggertsson told reporters that there is also a possibility the city will accept even more asylum seekers, in addition to the numerous other municipalities that have already come forward to offer their help.