"To save lives and reduce suffering"

This morning, the Icelandic Government accepted a proposal by PM Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson to set up a ministerial committee to discuss how Iceland can best help in the refugee crisis.

The PM, as well as the Minister for Finance and Industry and the Minister for Social Affairs and Housing will hold permanent seats within the committee. The Minister of Health and the Minister of Culture and Education will also take seats on the committee when matters concerning those ministries are discussed. 

A Government announcement states that the committee will discuss the current state of affairs as well as a long-term plan and government moves in matters regarding refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants. The aim is to estimate how Iceland could help in humanitarian matters touching these groups. According to a government plan until 2016 on the international development cooperation of Iceland, the emergency and humanitarian aid of Iceland aims to "save lives and reduce suffering in areas of crisis". The statement did not say, however whether Iceland was considering to raise the number of refugees from the current 50 over the next two years.

"We had long and good discussions on this important topic at the Government meeting this morning and it's clear that the matter is taken very seriously by the Government as a whole," said the PM to Mbl.is earlier adding that the Government intends to work fast to be able to respond to the crisis.