Refugees
Most read
Latest
-
Infirm Child To Be Deported From Iceland
The Directorate of Immigration (ÚTL) has denied an appeal to postpone the deportation of a Venezuelan family, despite a scheduled surgery for a three-year old girl, RÚV reports. The child suffers from developmental dysplasia of the hip, and underwent a complex surgery…
-
Human Trafficking Survivors Deported From Iceland
On May 13, Icelandic authorities deported four asylum applicants to Nigeria via Germany. The people, whose applications were denied by the Directorate of Immigration (ÚTL), have lived in Iceland for four to six years. Three of the deportees, all Nigerian women, are…
-
Palestinian Family Violently Deported, But Safety Of Refugees Remains Top Priority Officials Say
A Palestinian family, detained by special forces on Saturday, February 10, has been deported from Iceland to Greece, reports Vísir. The family had been denied international protection in Iceland, with the refusal based on their previous application for international protection in Greece.…
-
Bjarni Ben’s Facebook Posts About Alþingi Encampment Cause Uproar
The head of Solaris, an aid organisation for refugees and asylum seekers in Iceland, is calling out a recent Facebook tirade by Foreign Minister Bjarni Benediktsson as falling under the definition of hate speech in the penal code. Bjarni’s original post on…
-
Emergency Care Provided For Deprived Refugees
Minister of Social Affairs Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson has negotiated with the Icelandic Red Cross on an emergency care plan for homeless refugees. The people who will now receive Red Cross aid were deprived of their housing, medical, and social rights earlier this…
-
No Human Is Illegal
No Borders Iceland continues its fight Among the organisations in Iceland fighting for a more humane treatment of refugees is the activist collective No Borders Iceland. A movement transcending Iceland, No Borders is a loose network of groups primarily based in Europe.…
-
Fabricating A Migrant Crisis
Iceland’s immigration policy unleashed and unmasked In December 1938, the Salinger family – Erich, Gertrud and eight-year old Steffi – penned a letter to Icelandic authorities. In it, they explained they were seeking refuge from the rise of persecution of minorities – specifically…
-
Work Started On Parliament Bill Establishing Refugee Camps
Minister of Judicial Affairs and Independence Party MP Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir has started work on a parliament bill establishing “residential resources” for asylum applicants. The bill follows the enactment of the recent Foreigners Act, which led to 50 asylum applicants being deprived of…
-
Increased Rates Of Homelessness Anticipated Due To Refugee Policy
Magnús Davíð Norðdahl, lawyer of Blessing Newton – one of the refugees evicted in Hafnarfjörður last week – anticipates increased rates of homelessness due to the government’s current refugee policy. In the capital area, 30 asylum seekers are now homeless and without…
-
Asylum Seekers Evicted In Hafnarfjörður
Early Friday morning, a group of refugees was evicted from their accommodation, as the people face total deprivation of their rights. Blessing Newton, whose case has been covered in the media in recent weeks, told Vísir that she has no place to go.…
-
Call For More Municipalities To Welcome Refugees
According to the director of the welfare department in Reykjanesbær, the number of refugees in the municipality has rapidly increased, surpassing the infrastructure’s capacity to accommodate the growing population. Reykjanesbær receives a higher number of applicants for protection compared to most other…
-
Alþingi Passes Controversial Immigration Law
Alþingi passed a bill on international refugees Wednesday evening, with all members of the coalition government parties – the Independence Party, the Progressive Party and the Left Greens – voting in favour. All members of the Centrist Party and the People’s party…
-
MP Speaks Mistruths About Asylum Seekers, Deportee Might Return To Iceland
Some more developments have arisen in the wake of a mass deportation of people seeking international protection in Iceland, which has prompted strong public condemnation. As reported, all of these people were rounded up by police under cover of night and have…
-
PHOTOS: Icelanders Protest Against Deportations
Hundreds of Icelanders gathered in front of Parliament yesterday to protest against the deportation of over a dozen people seeking international protection, including a family of five and a man who must use a wheelchair, all from Iraq. As reported, all of…
-
Theatre Postpones Shows As Actors Are Deported
The Reykjavík City Theatre has postponed performances of the play ‘Snake’ because the actors from the show were deported, reports RÚV. [su_pullquote]It’s only one week until Iceland Airwaves returns to Reykjavík! Get prepared by pre-ordering our Airwaves Goodie Bag! It contains everything…
-
Justice Minister’s Claims About Asylum Seekers In Iceland Questionable
Minister of Justice Jón Gunnarsson intends to submit a bill to Parliament that would make a number of changes to the Law on Foreigners, RÚV reports, in response to what he called an “out of control” asylum seeker system. In arguing for…
-
Refugee Children Unable To Attend School
Ukrainian refugee children are unable to attend school in Iceland because their parents do not have the necessary identification, reports RÚV. [su_pullquote]The Volcano is on (again) at Fagradalsfjall! Check out our volcano merch in the Grapevine shop: books, T-shirts, posters even socks…
-
Teacher Sells Book To Raise Funds For Summer Course For Refugee Children
A teacher who has worked with Ukrainian refugee children for the past few months is now trying to finance a summer course for the children by selling a book. The aim of the course is for the children to be children. [su_pullquote]We…
-
More Refugees Than Ever Enter The Country
This year more refugees than ever have entered Iceland, already totaling at 1,887 refugees, reports RÚV. [su_pullquote]Summer Sale on T-Shirts in the Grapevine shop! We only have a chance to wear a T-shirt outdoors for about 2 months of the year here…
-
Asylum Seeker Bill Withdrawn (Again), No Mass Deportations Yet, Refugee Work Permit Bill Fails To Pass
Legislation and other government action regarding asylum seekers and refugees has, in recent days, been significant because of what has not happened. [su_pullquote]Summer Sale on T-Shirts in the Grapevine shop! We only have a chance to wear a T-shirt outdoors for about…
-
Government Still Preparing To Deport About 200 People, Including Families & Wheelchair User
While the government has reduced its numbers of planned deportations from about 300 to 200, many of them are still intended to be sent to Greece, Iraq, and Nigeria, including families and at least one man who uses a wheelchair. [su_pullquote]If you…
-
Deportations To Greece In Contravention Of Law, Red Cross Says
The Icelandic Red Cross has issued a detailed report (.pdf) citing numerous sources that concludes, as has been done many times before, that deporting people to Greece, and children in particular, will send them to a life lived on the street with…
-
Borgarfjörður Hosts Concert and Coffee for Ukrainian Refugees
People in Borgarfjörður hosted a concert and coffee event to welcome new neighbors from Ukraine on Saturday, West Iceland news service Skessuhorn reports. [su_pullquote]Are you going to Iceland in the near future? Check out all the trips you can order from us!…