Lögberg-Heimskringla - 13.09.2002, Side 3

Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 13 September 2002 • 3
Flóttamenn og hælisleitendur í Evrópu
Refugees and Refugee Status Seekers in Europe
Asteady stream of refugees
and refugee status seekers
to European countries in the
last few years has become a
inflammable subject, and it
doesn't look like it is going to
cool down any time soon. After
a year of silence leaders in
Europe have chosen to speak
out about their position on the
matter, reacting unfavorably
towards the immigrants.
Many examples of this
were apparent during election
campaigns in the last year.
According to many people,
Jean Marie le Pen made it to
the semi-finals in the race for
the Presidency in France by
using exaggerative, hateful
speeches directed against for-
eigners. Pim Fortuyn, the can-
didate in Holland who was shot
to death during the election
campaign, similarly pro-
claimed he would stop immi-
gration to Holland. A new gov-
ernment in Denmark was
formed in the wake of elections
PHOTO COURTESY OF MORGUNBLAÐIÐ
Georg Kr. Lárusson, Chief
Executive of the Department
of Immigation
where immigration policies
were a large part of the process.
The immigration issue in
Iceland does not have a long
history. The first laws, regard-
ing foreigners, were passed at
the last parliamentary session
and will become legal January
lst, 2003. Regulations regard-
ing foreigners in Iceland today
are based on the same regula-
tions used in European coun-
tries. After the Schengen
agreement became legal,
Iceland became an outpost of
the European border and there-
fore took on the European reg-
ulations regarding refugees and
refugee status seekers.
On the other hand,
Icelandic regulations regarding
the anival of foreign workers to
the country are different from
other countries. In Iceland the
employer receives the work per-
mit and with it he can receive a
foreign worker. The party in
question does not receive a
work permit and when the
employer does nöt need the
worker anymore, the party in
question must return back
home. These regulations are
likely put forth to protect the
Icelandic labor market.
To gain insight into the
matter of refugee status and that
of other foreigners who come to
the country, Morgunblaðið
spoke with Sigrún Arnadóttir,
the executive director of the
Red Cross in Iceland, and
Georg Kr. Lárusson, chief exec-
utive of the Department of
Immigration. The Red Cross
supports and looks after the
rights of refugees during legal
proceedings, but The
Department of Immigration
looks after visa pennits for for-
eign workers and the treatment
of application for refugee status.
Ný lög um útlendinga
New Laws for Foreigners
The new laws for foreign-
ers in Iceland will come into
effect January lst, 2003. These
laws will change every aspect
concerning the aífairs of for-
eigners in the country.
“Regulations concerning the
activities of the Department of
Immigration will be more clear
cut than they have presently
been, along with a clear outline
of the rights and obligations of
foreigners in the country. The
present day laws date from
1965. These laws do not insure
the rights of foreigners in the
country nor do they give
authorities clear enough docu-
mentation to govern matters
concerning foreigners in a nat-
ural way,” said Georg Kr.
Lárusson.
Are we discriminating
betM’een people because of
nationality?
“That is self-evident. We
are members of the Schengen
agreement and EES agreement.
We have made many agree-
ments where passports are not
needed between borders. We
have become members of
many business coalitions and
this gives citizens of these
countries more extensive rights
than those who are outside
these agreements. Last but not
least, many Nordic agreements
can be named that offer Nordic
residents a wide variety of
rights far beyond what citizens
of other countries will receive.
This is a normal procedure that
is based on the rule that we
ourselves must have a right to
decide whom we will allow to
enter the country. It is one of
the fundamental rules of being
an independent country,”
Georg said in conclusion.
Rauði kross íslands
The Icelandic Red Cross
The Icelandic Red Cross
looks after receiving refugees
and refugee status seekers
while they wait for solutions of
legal proceedings regarding
their stay in the country. Sigrún
Arnadóttir, the executive direc-
tor of the Icelandic Red Cross
said there is a need for a new
agreement with the govern-
ment because of the increase of
refugee status seekers in the
last few years.
“In recent years the Red
Cross movement has increas-
ingly been involved with the
general movement of people in
the world because visitors are
often very defenseless in a
society they don’t know. We
think it is important to look
after the rights of people who
move to other countries. There
is great movement of people in
the world today. We have
become aware of this move-
ment in the last few years
because of the need for labor in
Icelandic economy. Also rnany
PHOTO COURTESY OF MORGUNBLAÐIÐ
Sigrún Árnadóttir,
Executive Director of the
lcelandic Red Cross
people have moved to Iceland
both to work and to take up res-
idence. I think if things are
handled in the right way these
people will enrich Icelandic
society. It is of great impor-
tance that their worth be appre-
ciated. They have the opportu-
nity to participate fully in soci-
ety and enjoy the rights they
are entitled to.”
Information from Morgunblaðið, Á. H.
Gimli Lutheran Church Celebrates 125th
DiIIa Narfason
Gimli, MB
The congregation with their
Pastor, George Johnson,
and friends gathered to cele-
brate the 125th anniversary of
the Gimli Lutheran Church
August 24th and 25th, 2002.
Saturday evening was a time of
fellowship and reminiscing.
On Sunday many came to the
church for an hour of worship
where The Reverend Bishop
Richard Smith delivered the
sermon. Former Pastors of the
church also assisted during the
service.
.Consul General Eiður
Guðnason and his wife, Eygló
Haraldsdóttir were among the
friends who attended and also
joined in sharing a meal with
others, which followed in the
park pavilion. During a pro-
gramme which brought the cel-
ebration to a close, Pastor
Ingthor Isfeld gave an
overview of the very first years
when the church was estab-
lished in 1877. The choir sang
both an old and new hyrnn.
PHOTO COURTESY OF DILLA NARFASON
From left to right: Pastors Claire Speary, Alfred Sanders,
Bishop Richard Smith, Pastors George Johnson, Ingthor
Isfeld, John FuIImer and Trudy Sluth
Pastors spoke and greetings
were extended from the sister
congregations at Arborg and
Riverton, as well as from
churches of other denomina-
tions in Gimli.
From a special fund raising
effort by the congregation, the
occasion ended with two pre-
sentations by Pastor George.
The first was a cheque received
by Peter Bjornson representing
the Kinsmen who are fund rais-
ing for the new Gimli Health
Centre, and the second
received by Bishop Richard
Smith for the Lutheran Synod
to assist another congregation
in establishing a new church.
This was given in recognition
of the assistance received from
the Synod when the present
Gimli Lutheran Church was
built.
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