Executive summary

• Author: Guomundsdottir, Guorun D.
• Pages: 5-12

5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Iceland’s population is largely homogenous and monocultural. Historically, the most

pronounced discrimination has been on the ground of gender. In recent years, a

strengthened human rights dialogue has brought the position of various vulnerable groups

and minorities to the fore. However, a 2014 study on attitudes to equality and

discrimination in the workplace reveals that 86 % of those polled thought that people were

discriminated against on one of the following grounds: gender (63.8 %), national origin

(55.1 %), age (44.1 %), disability (38.6 %), race (38.8 %), sexual orientation (22.4 %)

and religion/beliefs (20.5 %).1

The formal legal status of people with disabilities is good although, in practice, they

habitually suffer discrimination concerning their rights to education, housing and

participation in public life, and they form a large proportion of those living in poverty.

According to the leading disability rights organisation, disability benefits are not adequate

for a life of dignity, and only a quarter of people with disabilities are in work. Building and

planning regulations require public buildings to be accessible. However, this is not always

the case and sanctions are rare.

In 2019, foreign citizens in Iceland numbered approximately 44 000 or 14.1 % of all

inhabitants, meaning that the number of immigrants had increased by 1.5 % from 2018.

This percentage has never been higher. First-generation and second-generation

immigrants now comprise 15.6 % of the population. Poles are the most numerous group,

representing approximately 38.1 % of foreign citizens; Lithuanians account for 5.7 %,

Filipinos for 3.9 % and a small number of people of various nationalities compose the rest.

There is no identified Roma community. Recent studies show that, despite the efforts made

in the education system, the limited reading literacy in Icelandic hampers the studies of

many of these children, and the low number of young people of immigrant origin

graduating from high school is a serious problem. In 2018, 12.1 % of children needing

institutional treatment under the auspices of the Child Protection Services were of

immigrant origin; 23.3 % of those in need of foster care were foreign (children of immigrant

origin constituted 20.6 % of all children in Iceland in 2018);2 and 35 % of women seeking

assistance from the Shelter for Victims of Domestic Violence were foreigners. The fact that

a disproportionate number of immigrant women seek assistance does not necessarily mean

that violence against them is more common than violence towards Icelandic women;

rather, this may reflect the fact that they have weaker support networks, so they are forced

to seek assistance from the shelter instead of from friends or family.

Icelandic society is becoming increasingly diverse, and welfare services need to adapt to

address this new reality. On average, the income of immigrants is lower than that of the

general population, and only a small minority hold jobs where their education is fully

utilised; the majority work in construction, tourism, cleaning and care services. Studies

show that people of immigrant origin suffer the most prejudice in Iceland, and the

Government’s National Action Plan on Immigration 2016-2019 sets out numerous actions

to combat prejudice and discrimination. There is no Roma community in Iceland.

In 2013, the Icelandic Muslim Association was finally allocated land to build a mosque by

Reykjavík City Council and is now raising funds for its construction. The association first

applied for a plot in 2000. This is a positive development, but indications of growing anti-

Islamic sentiment are an issue of concern. In November 2013, a group of people placed

pig heads and a bloodied Koran on the plot designated for the mosque. One individual was

identified, but the investigation of the case concluded without prosecution. In 2018, an

1 Arnard́ttir, E. and Haraldsson, R.H. (2014), Uppruni og fjölþætt mismunun (Origin and multiple

discrimination), Ísafjörður, Fjölmenningarsetur (Multicultural Centre).

2 Icelandic Child Protection Agency (2019), Lykiltölur Barnaverndarstofu 2018 (Key Statistics of the Child

Protection Agency 2018), available at: http://www.bvs.is/media/almenningur/Lykiltolur-Barnaverndarstofu-

2018-nytt-juni-2019.pdf.