Iceland To Welcome Syrian Refugees

The Icelandic government has agreed to accept families of Syrian refugees, with an emphasis on children.

According to an announcement on the Ministry of the Interior’s website, the United Nations has called upon all capable nations to accept more Syrian refugees, as the crisis in that country continues to worsen. A meeting between the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Welfare, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs came to the conclusion to accept an unspecified number of Syrian refugees.

“Emphasis will be especially placed on bringing in children who have been injured, or struggle with other illnesses, and their families,” the statement reads in part.

In fact, a parliamentary proposal from last February – submitted by Left-Green MP Ögmundur Jónasson and backed by other members of his party – also called for accepting more Syrian refugees, as well as providing more financial assistance to Syrian refugees living abroad.

It is expected that the government’s policy will go into effect within two weeks’ time.