Icelandic generosity hits headlines
Refugees searching for a better life in Europe. Photo: AFP
The positive response to the ‘ Dear Eygló, Syria calling ’ refugee initiative in Iceland has hit the international headlines.
A Facebook page of goodwill towards refugees has been set up and great numbers of Icelanders are pledging to offer help to Syrian refugees.
The page has now attracted over 12,000 subscribers and the surge of goodwill has not taken long to make it into foreign media.
Offers of help from Icelanders have been pouring in. Photo: AFP
“More than 11,000 Icelanders have offered to take Syrian refugees into their homes, after their government said it would accept only 50 people this year,” reads an article on the subject in Time .
The group’s founder, Bryndís Björgvinsdóttir, is quoted by the Independent as saying: “[These refugees] are our future spouses, best friends, the next soul mate, a drummer for our children’s band, the next colleague, Miss Iceland in 2022, the carpenter who finally finishes the bathroom, the cook in the cafeteria, a fireman and television host.”
“In response to their government’s paltry offer, Icelanders stepped up to try to fill the humanitarian void,” writes the Slate, in reference to Iceland’s current commitment to take in fifty refugees in 2015/2016 .
The Icelandic government is currently planning to take in fifty refugees over this year and next. Photo: AFP
Over 700 individuals have signed up as Red Cross volunteers to assist the refugees when they come to Iceland.
Red Cross Iceland has been responsible for protecting the rights of asylum seekers for just over a year. In that time, 220 asylum applications have been received and twelve accepted.
Most asylum seekers to Iceland are from FYR Macedonia, Iraq, Syria and Ukraine.
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