Interdisciplinary work for the benefit of refugees

Ægir Örn Sigurgeirsson is the Head of Support Services for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Hafnarfjörður. Ægir is a qualified social worker, an MPM project manager, and worked for several years with the child protection authority.

„At the end of 2018, we launched an eight-month pilot project in Hafnarfjörður to increase specialisation in services for applicants for international protection and to assist people with residence permits. There was little to no specialisation within the system and it quickly became apparent that there was a huge opportunity to improve services for this group.“ 

^{Ægir says the interdisciplinary approach makes it possible to keep a closer watch on the group of refugees and asylum seekers and to better integrate them into society. In the picture is Ægir (on the left in the background) with his team in refugee support services. FRÉTTABLAÐIÐ/ERNIR}

A rapidly growing project

„We were two at first, but more staff were needed quickly. The City of Hafnarfjörður's service contract for applicants expanded from 60 to as many as 100 people, and a standardised municipal reception for refugees was launched. Today, we have seven staff members working six and a half positions. Two more are responsible for supervising our most vulnerable cases. One of them was a refugee from Syria herself. The other worked in foreign affairs in Afghanistan with various organisations. The tenth member of staff is responsible for the time-consuming task of finding rented accommodation for people who have been granted residency. In all cases, the clients are fleeing conditions in their home country, such as war, poverty or other issues. If asylum seekers are granted residence, these individuals gain the legal status of refugees,“ says Ægir. „Everyone brings a different perspective, experience and knowledge of the subject matter. Instead of each case being assigned to a single consultant, we work in teams of two or three with each individual.“.

Small social service within the social service system 

„We wanted to bring everything to do with refugee affairs under one department. We work closely with other departments within the Directorate for Family and Child Affairs and are jointly responsible for education and child and family welfare for both applicants and refugees. In 2014, guidelines for the reception of refugees were established, which we take into account in our work. We also assist people with everything from booking a haircut to arranging medical appointments or helping with funerals. We also arrange appointments with the Immigration Authority and the Appeals Board, and provide psychological support, advice and more. For refugees who have been granted status, we create an individual plan with each person, based on a personalised assessment of their service needs.

Here in Hafnarfjörður, we wanted to broaden the perspective on the issue and bring in people from different backgrounds. We hired a lawyer, an education and careers adviser, and a development specialist from the anthropology sector. We also have a business economist from Palestine on our team. Each of us brings a different perspective, experience and knowledge of the subject area. Instead of assigning each individual case to a single adviser, we work with each person in teams of two or three. We handle all child protection cases that arise within this group, and they are often very complex to work on. The children are in a difficult position after fleeing and many struggle with a serious, specific problem that requires specialisation. We then work in close and successful collaboration with Brú, which is a new procedure within the City of Hafnarfjörður.

Many more people are involved in the work of each individual client. Today, for example, we are responsible for over 100 children in the municipality. Of these, 52 are seeking asylum. They are in nurseries and primary schools, and the vast majority of them are dealing with specific difficulties. A large group of people works there, doing a good job for the benefit of our clients. A multi-disciplinary approach allows us to keep a closer eye on this group and better integrate them into society.“ Ægir says at last.