Our refugee families

A group of Syrian refugees landed at Keflavik Airport in the afternoon after a long journey. There are four refugee families, three of which will settle in Hafnarfjörður and one in Kópavogur. It was a grateful and tired group that attended a short reception at Hafnarborg in Hafnarfjörður before heading to their new homes in a new country.

In the group that arrived in the country today, there were four families, 13 individuals in total: 9 adults and 4 children. Three of them, 11 individuals in total, will settle in Hafnarfjörður. A great deal of preparation has taken place over recent weeks and months to ensure a professional and welcoming reception. In the coming days, weeks and months, everyone will work together to help the four families settle in quickly and safely, and provide appropriate advice and services so that they can take an active part in society as soon as possible. The people are all Syrian refugees who have been living in Lebanon for varying lengths of time, from where they flew today after a stopover in Paris. A short reception was held upon the people's arrival, where the Minister for Social Affairs and Housing and the Mayor of Hafnarfjörður, along with representatives of the municipal authorities in Hafnarfjörður and Kópavogur, The Red Cross and the ministry welcomed these new arrivals with warm words and generous gifts.

„Without a doubt, many things will surprise you in the coming days, weeks and months, whether it's our customs and traditions, the weather or the nature, but hopefully, in time you will begin to feel like a local and discover that we are not so different from you.“ said Eygló Harðardóttir, Minister for Social Affairs and Housing, at the reception ceremony. Haraldur L. Haraldsson, Mayor of Hafnarfjörður, also spoke and welcomed the families to the country and to Hafnarfjörður.