Report and handbook on the situation of immigrants in Norðurþing published
A new report on the status and experiences of immigrants in Norðurþing has been published, along with a handbook intended to support municipalities and institutions in welcoming and serving new residents. The project was carried out by the Þingeyinga Knowledge Network with funding from the Immigration Development Fund and is based on interviews with immigrants from diverse backgrounds living in the municipality.
The study provides insight into people's experiences of housing, services, language, social participation and opportunities for influence in the local community. Its aim was to shed light on the situation of immigrants and identify which factors support or hinder their participation in society.
The results show that many people view their residence in Norðurþing positively, but also face challenges related to language, information flow and access to services. Language proved to be a key factor in adaptation, with many participants stating that they understood Icelandic better than they could speak it, which affected their self-confidence and functioning in daily life.
The results also highlight the importance of early community engagement, accessible information and support at the early stages. Social connections and participation in the workforce are also important, but some participants described how difficult it can be to form connections outside the workplace. The results provide important clues about opportunities for improvement and support a more focused development of services for immigrants at the municipal level.
Alongside the report, a practical handbook has been published that is based on a comparison of the four municipalities of Mýrdalshrepp, Akureyri, Norðurþing and Reykjanesbær, along with the results of a study in Northeastern Iceland. The handbook provides guidelines based on different approaches to welcoming and serving new residents, with the aim of identifying what has worked well and where there are opportunities for improvement.
The handbook contains practical guidelines and suggestions that municipalities and institutions can use to promote coordinated and accessible services, improve information provision and strengthen the reception process for new residents. It is thus intended as a tool to support more targeted service development based on both research and real-world experience from different municipalities.
The report can be found here and the manual can be found here.
English version of the report is here