However, organisations working within the camp said that this is only of many problems. The children would benefit from multilingual approaches as well as inclusive practices that build on their prior knowledge (Cummins, 2001). The language abilities of the refugee parents differed immensely as previously noted. The teachers also worry about latent traumas, which may affect the lives of the children (Richman, 1998; Rousseau et al., 2012; Ziaian et al., 2012), and give examples of childrens play that suggested possible experiences of violence. Similarly, Cummins (2004) claims that inequalities related to childrens diverse languages exist in schools, in that some educational approaches towards childrens diverse languages can include some students and exclude others. Research has indicated that cultural mismatch in the school context and home context may lead to lack of communication and misunderstanding between schools and homes (Ragnarsdttir, 2008). The committee then proposes to the government of Iceland a general policy and organization of the reception of refugee groups each year. TL has requested additional equipment so that they will be able to take fingerprints and photographs at two different stations going forward. Two of the schools have extensive experience of working with ethnically diverse groups of children and families, while other schools do not have such experience. As noted in the findings, most of the parents have middle or higher education. National Library of Medicine Get full access to all features within our Corporate Solutions. (2014).

A contract is made with certain municipalities for receiving and providing services for refugees in accordance with the decision made by the government each time. Glover, T. D., & Hemingway, J. L. (2005). Preschool Act no. These were boys who had been in school before. One of the teachers noted. The emphasis in all interviews was on creating an environment of trust and gaining in-depth data. The role of the refugee committee of the Icelandic government, including representatives from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Welfare and the Icelandic Red Cross, is to decide in cooperation with the UNHCR from which country or countries refugees should be invited each year. However, they experience challenges related to differences in expectations and school culture. You know, we have five children at school. For more information for refugees and asylum-seekers in the Nordic and Baltic Countries, go to this page. In spite of these privileged circumstances, many challenges appear in the process of resettling. Statistics Iceland defines an immigrant as a person born abroad who has both parents and all grandparents foreign born (Statistics Iceland, 2019b). Themes drawn from the data and presented below are as follows: Reception of refugee families and first months in a new country; educational practices in preschools and compulsory schools; and educational partnerships between parents and schools. Semi-structured interviews were chosen to collect data as they are considered one way of establishing respectful relationships with participants in close proximity to them and obtaining in-depth data (Kvale, 2007). Most of these applicants are from Venezuela; 20 are from Palestine. Industry-specific and extensively researched technical data (partially from exclusive partnerships). UNHCR. Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. (2018). In our case, it is not that the family wants them to stay at home. Denzin, N. K., Lincoln, Y. S., & Smith, L. T. (2011). Despite the high number of protests within the country, the Icelandic authorities are planning to deport 200 asylum seekers back to the countries where they first submitted their asylum requests. Wednesday: 09:00 - 17:00 The compulsory schools included in this study did not actively build on the childrens first language and multilingual education, as introduced by Cummins (2001, 2004), is generally not in place in these schools. about navigating our updated article layout. Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies One parent mentioned a support person who had little knowledge of the Icelandic language and could not assist their children. Similar to different organisations, the Icelandic Red Cross has also expressed its concerns about sending asylum seekers back to Greece, Info Migrants notes. Alsayed & Wildes (2018), reporting on their study of strengths and difficulties of Syrian children with refugee background in Turkey, emphasize that schools should address both the difficulties and the strengths of refugee children. However, in spite of illiteracy, the communication was generally good according to the teachers and head teachers. Chart. They maintained that good preparation had facilitated this. Currently, you are using a shared account. 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HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help However, some of the teachers claimed the support from the central educational offices had lasted for too short time and that they were later left alone to deal with the task. Despite the general good preparation at the central educational offices which the teachers described, they felt that when the children arrived they knew very little about them individually. The teaching of first languages is not stipulated in the acts, but this has been applied in schools where possible. Use of this press release is free. Our situation was the same as in Lebanon. In one of the compulsory schools, one of the teachers noted. 91/2008), the aim of the training shall be that the pupils become actively bilingual and ready for the regular compulsory school as well as preparing them to become active citizens in Icelandic society. When they arrived, we knew nothing about them. The staff of the schools generally showed understanding and claimed that they tried their best to support the refugee families and children, while many of them deplored the lack of follow-up support from the municipalities after the initial preparation period. Three of the parents (mothers) had short or no basic schooling and were illiterate in Arabic, while five of the parents (three fathers and two mothers) had finished higher education and spoke and read English in addition to Arabic. In general, the more you know about your students, the better you will understand and be engaged with them in the teaching-learning process. They put us in different places. Permissions were sought in the central educational offices of the three municipalities and the head teachers of the childrens preshools and compulsory schools gave their permission for conducting interviews in the schools. sdi a guxoj me thon keshtu se ky definicion po thote qe e kane fit asylum right, https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/pages/glossary/first-country-asylum_en. The report notes that in the final few days of last month, asylum seekers had to stand in line for hours at Bjarhraun 18, where both the Directorate of Immigration (TL) and a police station are located. So if an asylum seeker is no hit in Iceland, it means that Iceland is the first participating country theyve entered and their application is supposed to be reviewed there. I want to take them to the zoo, I dont know how. We want to go out to eat, we dont know where to go. When they come home I have to give them a bath. Each municipality prepares for the arrival of the families assigned to its area. Locating leisure in the social capital literature, Reception of refugee children and their families in healthcare. Accessibility (2013). They said they also used it to learn Icelandic. One of the parents noted. What do they benefit from being here in Iceland, what do they learn, what do they get, are they in the right place, there is a question mark, I dont know what they learn, what they take from the society and there will be a question mark. There are things that are clear concerning schools, like mathematics and reading but still we find a big gap between us and the system, the kids even feel that there is a gap. Unbelievable progress after such a short time. The findings indicate that there is a discrepancy between the perspectives of some parents and perspectives of some of the teachers. Parents in three of the families were concerned about the lack of information from the schools, while the teachers said that they were trying their best to cope with communicating across languages, using all the methods they could think of in their daily communication. All the head teachers were interviewed and they were asked to suggest a second participant from their school, who had worked closely with the refugee child or children. and transmitted securely. Rather, the parents talk about the need for linguistic and academic support for their children and for an understanding of their culture. The teachers in this school noted that the girls somehow were reluctant to go out and participate, and worried about their isolation from their peers and their future in Icelandic society. The extent of this extra support depended on each refugee childs needs. The researchers read and re-read the transcripts. I think that they should know about the basic principles of our culture and religion, and also about our festivals. We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. One preschool head teacher noted. Info Migrants explains that Iceland plans to proceed with its plan to deport a high number of people from its territory. The interviews that were conducted in Arabic were transcribed in Arabic. Furthermore, an emphasis on community building, as Alsayed & Wildes (2018) have suggested, has only developed in one of the municipalities. 06 January 2022, Epiphany Day15 April 2022, Easter Good Friday18 April 2022, Easter Monday03 May 2022, Eid al-Fitr26 May 2022, Ascension Day06 June 2022, National Day24 June 2022, Midsummer Eve11 July 2022, Eid al Adha26 December 2022, 2nd day Christmas, Comments: The interviews were conducted in the period from autumn 2016 to summer 2017. However, some of the teachers talk about highs and lows appearing in the parents feelings, the initial gratitude followed by later disillusionment. Profit from the additional features of your individual account. In addition, it has been revealed that they will be mainly sent back to Greece as their first asylum requests were submitted there. Refugee families face various challenges when resettling in a new country, including adjusting to new conditions and new roles. The government makes a final decision regarding the numbers of refugees based on the proposition. The findings of the research conducted with the teachers and principals indicate that there is lack of follow-up support for the schools from the municipalities. In 2016, the number of refugees reached previously unknown heights when 173 were granted asylum in Iceland. In Berryman M., SooHoo S., & Nevin A. Yes, I experience sadness and lack of trust. A paid subscription is required for full access. She noted that she had considered cultural and religious differences and how to support the girls in participating. TL has also rented out three hotels in the capital area to accommodate asylum seekers who are waiting to have their cases reviewed. Reportedly, the government of Iceland has reduced the number of planned deportation to 200 people. A qualitative, in-depth approach was chosen to conduct the research and to understand the experiences and views of the participants (Denzin et al., 2008; Flick, 2006). And they took Icelandic lessons with me. Although the children and parents expressed their gratitude for the reception and support which they received in Iceland, most of the parents were already disappointed soon after arriving in Iceland. Ministry of Education, Science and Culture . They have become a little sad because they are so isolated socially. They wear a hijab and stood out from the whole group when they first arrived. Many researchers have documented initiatives in schools at different levels where inclusive learning spaces and leisure time environment are developed for diverse groups of students, including refugees (Ferfolja & Vickers, 2010; Glover & Hemingway, 2005; Keddie, 2012; Ragnarsdttir & Kulbrandstad, 2018; Ragnarsdttir & Schmidt, 2014). I want to communicate but sometimes (there is) no response from the other side. Smaller groups include, for example, Philippines born, 1,878 people and Syrian born, 217 people (for more detail, see Statistics Iceland, 2019e). In, UNHCR. I think the shock is coming to them now. Syrian quota refugee families, children with refugee background, preschools, compulsory schools, educational practices, homeschool communication, Syrian refugee children: A study of strengths and difficulties. One of them said. The diversification of the population is reflected in the education system, where, in 2017, around 12% of all preschool children and 10% of all compulsory school students had other first languages than Icelandic (Statistics Iceland, 2019c, 2019d). I have not experienced anything like this before. (2016). To conclude, according to the findings, the children would benefit from multilingual approaches in their schools and the parents would benefit from more active educational partnerships with the schools and community building in helping them establishing a better life in Iceland.1. They said this was also a strategy for empowering the children, developing trust and security.

The participating staff in the schools generally noted that they were very content with the preparation organized by the municipalities. While the findings indicate that most of the children were doing well both academically and socially in their first months in the schools, they also show that the children and parents have experienced a number of challenges. However, during the interviews, the researchers carefully provided both time and flexibility to allow the participants to talk freely about issues of their choice that were not covered in the interview guides. and how this woman is managing, alone in a foreign country where there is darkness almost all day and now light the whole day and night. According to media reports, among asylum seekers that will be deported is also one person with a physical disability. Emphasizing the strengths and resilience of children with refugee background is also important. We found that they care, and they understand us. I went to the kindergarten with my other two kids. In 2020, Iceland reported 654 registered asylum-seekers a decrease compared to the two previous years the majority from the Palestine territories, Iraq and Venezuela. Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header. Most of the people who are issued a residence permit originate from Asia, but persons from the Americas come close second. UNHCR also focuses on raising awareness and mobilizing support for the organizations global efforts to protect people forced to flee.

Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. The site is secure. The guidelines for the reception of quota refugees, i.e., refugees invited to resettle in Iceland (Stjrnarr slands [Government of Iceland], 2013) stipulate that services are provided for 1 year after the arrival of the refugees. As a Premium user you get access to the detailed source references and background information about this statistic. Taking into account the current obstacles that asylum seekers have to go through, the Icelandic authorities are yet to come out with an official announcement regarding the decision to deport asylum seekers. The UN Refugee Agencys work in the Nordic and Baltic countries focuses on supporting governments in implementing legal instruments related to asylum and statelessness and ensuring that all people of concern to UNHCR in the region enjoy access to their rights in these areas. In order to create learning spaces that respond to the needs of linguistically and culturally diverse groups of students, schools need to consider how to implement socially just and inclusive practices that build on students prior knowledge and welcome diverse identities and backgrounds (Cummins, 2001). These two countries are considered to be safe even though many individuals flee from them because of different forms of prosecution. The first teacher described how they had tried to involve the girls in various social activities, without success. They are so diligent, and they want so much to learn they have waited for so long. (2012) discuss that if refugee parents are themselves psychologically distressed, they may be less aware of their childrens problems. In Banks J. The refugee parents talked about the need for an interpreter or someone who had adequate knowledge in their language and the municipality of their resettlement to assist them and their children. Banks, J. 90/2008. Stjrnarr slands [Government of Iceland] . The numbers of religious and life stance organizations in Iceland have also grown in recent years, reflecting the increase in ethnic diversity (Statistics Iceland, 2019f). Furthermore, an understanding of the diversity within the group of quota refugee families seems to be lacking among the teachers, resulting in some misunderstanding and preconceptions about the parents and children. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible.

Ragnarsdttir, H., & Schmidt, C. 8600 Rockville Pike

The teachers are concerned about illiteracy among both the children and parents and that some of the children have missed some years of schooling. New, Insights into the worlds most important health markets, Figures and insights about the advertising and media world, Everything you need to know about the industry development. Education (primary and lower-secondary education) in Iceland is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16 and strong emphasis is also placed on upper-secondary education. Overview and forecasts on trending topics, Industry and market insights and forecasts, Key figures and rankings about companies and products, Consumer and brand insights and preferences in various industries, Detailed information about political and social topics, All key figures about countries and regions, Everything you need to know about Consumer Goods, Identify market potentials of the digital future, Insights into the world's most important technology markets, Health Market Outlook Until 2007, the number of asylum seekers who were granted refugee status was less than 10 persons. Ministry of Education, Science and Culture . Block et al. While the children go through medical examination before starting school, the schools have little information about the childrens educational background and assessment tools for migrant and refugee children are not well developed. In 2016, a group of 55 Syrian quota refugees arrived in Iceland from Lebanon and settled in three municipalities. Less is being done for them and so on.

In others, the parents experience isolation. One parent said. The parents of the compulsory school children worried that their children would be marginalized since they didnt understand Icelandic and could not take the exams. You can only download this statistic as a Premium user.

"Number of Refugees in Iceland from 2011 to 2021. The co-researcher who speaks Arabic conducted the interviews in Arabic. Please do not hesitate to contact me. Are you interested in testing our corporate solutions? Following a medical examination, the children start school. A. They had expected more financial and social support and better educational support for their children. The families had been in Iceland from 9 months up to 1 year at the time of the interview. All the participating parents in the study are of Syrian nationality and stated Arabic as their first language. Ziaian, T., Anstiss, H., Antoniou, G., Sawyer, M., & Baghurst, P. (2012). In 2016, 1,469 residence permits were issued. Municipalities in Iceland are responsible for the operation of preschools and compulsory schools and schools must develop their own curricula based on the national curriculum guidelines (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2016). The theoretical framework of the study includes critical approaches to education, and multilingual education for social justice. Number of refugees in Iceland from 2011 to 2021 [Graph]. They informed us before we came here that there would be at least one teacher or someone who will assist our daughters and there would be different kinds of support both academic and financial for our kids. As a Premium user you get access to background information and details about the release of this statistic. A compulsory school teacher noted. Thursday: 09:00 - 17:00 Introduction. Register in seconds and access exclusive features. If you see the situation of immigrants in Canada and in Germany, they live much better and get more support than us. You experience that the younger children are much stronger because they achieve these social contacts sooner than the older children. School of Education, University of Iceland, Reykjavk, Iceland. Their number was less than 20 until 2013, after which it rapidly expanded. Reporting on their research with young refugees resettled in South Australia, Ziaian et al. According to the report, 182 individuals from 15 different countries applied for asylum in Iceland in February. We only visit the family they came with us and they are close. Multicultural education: Characteristics and goals. They even got lost, but they found their way back home. Friday: 09:00 - 17:00 sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal Supporting schools to create an inclusive environment for refugee students, Bilingual childrens mother tongue: Why is it important for education. Based on this proposition and a cost estimate, the Minister of Welfare and the Minister for Foreign Affairs propose to the government of Iceland that a certain number of refugees from a certain country or countries should be invited to resettle in Iceland. An Arabic-speaking co-researcher and doctoral student, herself a refugee and therefore familiar with the experiences of resettling established contact with the refugee parents. (Eds.). (2013). Certain criteria are considered when the municipalities are chosen, including the availability of social services, health services, jobs, possibilities for education, housing and other matters considered to be of importance in each case. She said. Various critical approaches highlight the position of minority groups in schools and societies from a critical perspective and analyse what factors in educational and societal structures cause and maintain unequal status (May & Sleeter, 2010). Addressing trauma in collaborative mental health care for refugee children. There were 11 families comprising 20 adults and 35 children. Please quote the source. One parent said. In May S. & Sleeter C. E. There were altogether 20 adults and 35 children in these 11 families and most of these children attended preschools and compulsory schools at the time of the research.

Such were among the findings of a status report that the office of the National Commissioner released this week regarding overload at the Icelandic border and the possible activation of an emergency response plan to better deal with the influx of asylum applications. An official website of the United States government. Immigrants and persons with foreign background 2018, Pupils in compulsory schools having another mother tongue than Icelandic 1997-2017, Children in pre-primary institutions having another mother tongue than Icelandic 1998-2017, Population by country of birth, sex and age 1 January 1998-2018, Populations by religious and life stance organizations 1998-2019. The number of new permits fell sharply from 2008 to 2011, mainly due to a fall in employment or family reunification permits. The current Icelandic law does not permit sending a foreigner or a stateless person back to an area where the individual has reason to fear prosecution. The Minister of Welfare oversees the reception according to the guidelines. She had previously worked for the Red Cross in the reception of refugees in Iceland. will also be available for a limited time. 90/2008) emphasizes a whole child approach, it does not include a section on first languages. While the findings of this study indicate that most of the children were doing well both academically and socially in their first months in the schools, both the children and their parents have experienced a number of challenges. Findings of research related to children and families with refugee background have indicated that many refugees have experienced difficult situations that can affect their daily life and education. Saturday: The schools used different methods to develop trust and understanding of the children with refugee background and their parents. They also had doubt about the quality of education in Iceland and whether this would benefit their children. The number of new permits has grown since, mostly due to education but also due to international protection grants and other causes. One parent said.

The refugees are granted health services, courses in Icelandic, courses on Icelandic society, first (L1) language teaching where possible, leisure activities, services of interpreters, assistance in finding jobs and other necessary services. Schools are required to have reception plans for pupils whose first language is not Icelandic. Apart from Greece, another destination to which asylum seekers are meant to be returned is Hungary. One of the compulsory school teachers noted that: These children are hungry for education. This helped both parents and schools to communicate, share experiences, languages and develop trust.