Ukrainian Refugees to Be Granted Joint Protection
Minister of Justice Jón Gunnarsson. mbl.is/Árni Sæberg
Icelandic Minister of Justice Jón Gunnarsson intends to activate Article 44 of the Foreign Nationals Act, which allows joint protection of refugees from specific areas, Morgunblaðið reports.
What it means is that individual cases do not have to be processed for asylum to be granted. In addition, the minister plans to suggest a change to the law, giving those who receive joint protection a work permit as well.
Speaking from Brussels, where he attends a meeting of ministers of Schengen states, due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Jón states he will present the decision to the government today.
“What this will do is make all planning smoother and ease the strain that accompanies the arrival of Ukrainian refugees in Iceland,” he states. “We fully participate in the cooperation of Schengen states regarding the reception of those refugees. This has to happen quickly and safely, and at the same time we must react to challenges, such as children traveling without passports. That’s just a technical issue, but it has to be solved.”
The number of refugees to be received in Iceland has not been determined. “No decision has been made in that regard, but we have demonstrated before that when times are tough, we have even taken a bigger step than many of our allies,” Jón states. “We will do so in cooperation with these foreign parties, the Refugee Committee and municipalities.”
Jón adds that most likely, the refugees coming will mainly be mothers and children, since the men remain in Ukraine, defending their country.
In Brussels, the European Commission proposed yesterday to activate the Temporary Protection Directive to offer quick and effective assistance to people fleeing the war in Ukraine. As a result, Ukrainian refugees will be granted temporary protection in the European Union, including a residence permit and access to education and the labor market.More than a million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began Thursday last week, most of them seeking protection in EU countries.
