Reykjavík Grapevine - 11.09.2015, Page 6

6
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 1 — 2011
“A Country-
Wide Effort”:
Our Mayor’s
Perspective
6
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 4 — 2015
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Reykjavík | Is welcoming
Words by John Rogers
In the light of Icelanders’ recent groundswell in favour of accepting more Syrian refu-
gees, Reykjavík’s mayor, Dagur B. Eggertsson, was recently quoted as saying that the
city is prepared to accept “hundreds” of new refugees. Curious, we called him up to gain
further insight into this statement, discussing—among other things—the process of com-
ing up with a more concrete number, the mayoral office’s role in handling refugees, and
what practical steps interested citizens can take to get involved.
Dagur, thanks for
talking to us. First of
all—how did you arrive
at the rough figure of
“hundreds”?
Well, I didn’t want to give out a
more exact number—I don’t think
we’re at that stage yet. I was asked by
a reporter if it would be in the hundreds,
and I said “Yes, probably.”
The government and the ministe-
rial committee on refugees are currently
deciding on the number of refugees that
will come to Reykjavík and Iceland’s
various municipalities. There’s a broad
consensus in the city council: we wanted
to make it heard that we’re prepared
to participate, and we thought that the
numbers given out earlier—50 or so refu-
gees—was too low. We have offered to
enter into negotiations with the govern-
ment on the matter, and do the very best
we can.
Could you describe the
role of the mayor’s office
in this process?
First of all, I’m coordinating
our efforts and operations
with our specialists in the
city’s Welfare department,
and the Human Rights department,
who’ve historically been very active
when we’ve received groups of refugees.
For the preparations to be more concrete,
we need to know the scale the govern-
ment is thinking about. I see my role as
coordinating the effort, ensuring we
have the necessary means to not just take
on the task, but to make sure we do it
properly—and not just in the short term,
but over a number of years.
And I have the full backing of the city
council to do so.
Who are the main players in this
process?
First, you have the Ministerial Commit-
tee, who are deciding on the numbers,
and determining the available finances.
There’s a Refugee Committee working
with them, which has the governmen-
tal authority to work alongside the UN
bodies that work on refugee issues. In
collaboration with them, the refugee
committee makes a proposal on how
many refugees will come here, and from
which camps. There are three ministries
connected to the process directly—the
Welfare, Interior and Foreign ministries.
Also the Ministry of Finance is involved,
and now the Prime Minister’s office,
because the Prime Minister himself is
chairing the Refugee Committee.
It has been documented that the
city’s healthcare system is cur-
rently struggling to cope with
demand. Will refugees enter into
the existing healthcare system,
or will new resources be made
available?
I would think that we need new resourc-
es. Refugee healthcare is actually in the
hands of the state, but when it comes to
schools et cetera, we are responsible.
These matters are carried out in agree-
ment between the government and the
municipalities, based on the needs of
the groups that are coming—whether it’s
adults, or a lot of children, for example.
We assess their specific needs, and the
result will vary based on the situation.
What kind of housing will the
refugees be occupying?
At first they could be at some kind of
centre. But we’ve found that it’s best to
assimilate refugees as soon as possible,
and meet their needs as best we can—as
we do with any other types of people in
need. We envision that they will be living
as normal people in Reykjavík as soon as
possible.
Icelanders’ positive response
to the current crisis has been
reported, even celebrated, world-
wide. However, there are opposing
voices in Icelandic discourse as
elsewhere, who are loudly and
vehemently opposed to the idea of
welcoming refugees to the coun-
try. What has been your experi-
ence, talking to people in the city?
In my experience, the response has been
very positive. And that’s very important.
The whole of our society has to do this to-
gether—you don’t need to be a refugee to
know that if you’re a child coming into a
new school, or an individual coming into
a new neighbourhood, it’s very important
to be well received by your neighbours,
classmates and fellow citizens. I’m cer-
tain that the positivity of the Icelandic
people will help refugees feel welcome
here. I have noticed that the Red Cross
is working very actively with volunteers,
giving out information on how people
can help. The willingness to help is cer-
tainly out there. It’s great to have the Red
Cross as a partner in this—they are very
experienced in these matters, not just
here, but all over the world.
What should people do if they
want to get involved in this
process?
I would recommend that people join the
Red Cross efforts, and list themselves
as interested in helping there. The Red
Cross will work with individuals to
find out what they’d like to do, and how
they’re best capable of helping, and then
suggest a practical plan for involvement.
This goes for people in all parts of the
greater Reykjavík area, as in every other
part of Iceland. I foresee that this will be
a country-wide effort.