Report and handbook on the status of immigrants in North-east Iceland published.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A new report on the situation and experiences of immigrants in North-east Iceland has been published, along with a handbook designed to support local authorities and organisations in welcoming and serving new residents. The project was carried out by the Knowledge Network of the \u00deingeyjar Region with a grant from the Development Fund for Immigration Affairs and is based on interviews with immigrants from diverse backgrounds who live in the municipality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study provides insight into people's experiences of housing, services, language, social participation and opportunities for influence in their local community. Its aim was to shed light on the situation of immigrants and to analyse which factors support or hinder their participation in society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The results show that many people view their residency in North East Iceland positively, but at the same time, challenges are identified relating to, among other things, language, information flow and access to services. Language proved to be a key factor in integration, with many participants describing that they understood Icelandic better than they could speak it, which affected their self-confidence and daily functioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The findings also highlight the importance of initial interactions with the community, accessible information, and support in the early stages. Social connections and participation in the working life are also very important, but some participants described that it could be difficult to form connections outside the workplace. The findings provide important indications of opportunities for improvement and support a more targeted development of services for immigrants at the local authority level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alongside the report, a practical handbook has been published, based on a comparison of four municipalities: M\u00fdrdalshreppur, Akureyri, Nor\u00f0ur\u00feing and Reykjanesb\u00e6r, along with the findings of a study in North East Iceland. The handbook provides guidance based on different approaches to the welcome and service provision for new residents, with the aim of identifying what has worked well and where opportunities for improvement lie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The handbook contains practical guidance and suggestions that local authorities and organisations can use to promote coordinated and accessible services, improve information provision and strengthen the induction process for new residents. It is therefore intended as a tool to support more targeted development of services, based on both research and the real-world experience of different local authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The report can be found here<\/a> and the handbook mcan be found here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n