Iceland Agrees to Take in Only 50 Syrian Refugees, so Thousands of Icelanders Offer Up Their Own Homes

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The Icelandic government issued a statement recently that it would aid in the crisis in Syria by taking in a meagre 50 refugees from the country. With many thinking of Iceland as a northern utopia of fjords and sheep where the soothing sounds of Sigur Rós are played non-stop and pop stars wear dead bird dresses, the offer seemed at odds with the image the world has of the progressive country with a population of less than half a million.

In response to the government's underwhelming announcement, thousands of Icelanders have joined together in offering to personally host Syrian refugees in their homes. Over 13,000 people have joined a Facebook group entitled "Syria Is Calling," popularized by a notable Icelandic author, to voice their offers and opinions regarding Syrian refugees. Though some media outlets are reporting that 10,000 Icelanders are offering to host refugees, a number have joined symbolically, and still others are there to voice dissenting opinions.

Posts have ranged from those detailing how they would help refugees—one woman offered to help with airfare of a Syrian family, child care, and home-cooked meals—to those spewing racist comments. [All sic] "Obvious you have no experience what so ever about those 'refugees'…dont come back and complain when murder and rapes goes skyhigh," one Icelander commented on a post in the group.

"It has been our goal in international politics to be of help in as many areas as possible and this is one of the areas where the need is most right now," the prime minister of Iceland, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, said. "I believe there is solidarity on that we should do more to respond to the problem, we just have to find out the best way to do it."

According to Statistics Iceland, over 90 percent of the population of the Nordic country is ethnically Icelandic, and another roughly three percent Polish. Just over three percent of Icelandic citizens were grouped into the "other" ethnic category in Iceland's 2014 census results.

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Eerie. Photo via Flickr user Moyan Brenn