The first Syrian refugees arrived at Keflavík International Airport yesterday. The 35 refugees were tired after a day long trip from Beirut via Paris, but happy they had finally arrived at their new homes. The local news site visir.is reports that the majority of the refugees who arrived yesterday were children, many carrying drawings of the Syrian and Icelandic flags and messages like “Thank you Iceland”. The group was greeted upon arrival by the Prime Minster of Iceland, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson and the Minister of Welfare, Eygló Harðardóttir.
Read more: First Syrian refugees to arrive in Iceland tonight
One of the refugees, Khattab al Mohammed, told the local TV station Stöð 2 that he hadn’t known anything about Iceland when he first learned he had been offered asylum here with his family, wife, six children and their grandmother. “We were told it was very cold, and all the people said it was like a freezer, so be careful with your choice. But then we heard about the good people that demonstrated for us, and the Facebook page they created, and very good hearts in this nation, so we decided it would be ok.”
He added that they did not know what they would do once they had moved to Akureyri, but that the most important thing would be for his children to go back to school, since they had been unable to attend school while they stayed in the refugee camp in Lebanon. The second most important step to take now would be to find a job, so that he could make a living for the family.
Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, who welcomed the refugees at Keflavík airport, told Stöð 2 that this was a joyful moment, and that it was wonderful to see the happiness of the refugees and their families as they were starting a new chapter in their lives, and that this joy was contagious. “I look forward to see them adapt to life here in Iceland.”
The first Syrian refugees arrived at Keflavík International Airport yesterday. The 35 refugees were tired after a day long trip from Beirut via Paris, but happy they had finally arrived at their new homes. The local news site visir.is reports that the majority of the refugees who arrived yesterday were children, many carrying drawings of the Syrian and Icelandic flags and messages like “Thank you Iceland”. The group was greeted upon arrival by the Prime Minster of Iceland, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson and the Minister of Welfare, Eygló Harðardóttir.
Read more: First Syrian refugees to arrive in Iceland tonight
One of the refugees, Khattab al Mohammed, told the local TV station Stöð 2 that he hadn’t known anything about Iceland when he first learned he had been offered asylum here with his family, wife, six children and their grandmother. “We were told it was very cold, and all the people said it was like a freezer, so be careful with your choice. But then we heard about the good people that demonstrated for us, and the Facebook page they created, and very good hearts in this nation, so we decided it would be ok.”
He added that they did not know what they would do once they had moved to Akureyri, but that the most important thing would be for his children to go back to school, since they had been unable to attend school while they stayed in the refugee camp in Lebanon. The second most important step to take now would be to find a job, so that he could make a living for the family.
Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, who welcomed the refugees at Keflavík airport, told Stöð 2 that this was a joyful moment, and that it was wonderful to see the happiness of the refugees and their families as they were starting a new chapter in their lives, and that this joy was contagious. “I look forward to see them adapt to life here in Iceland.”
