Iceland sees spike in deportations amid policy shift

Iceland has seen a significant shift in border enforcement, with a 380% increase in deportations since 2022 under the amended Foreign Nationals Act. The increase, attributed to stricter border controls, targets those without valid travel reasons or those suspected of illegal activity.

Shift in border control policy

Police have deported 581 people at Iceland’s internal and external borders, following changes to the Aliens Act passed in 2022, RÚV reports.

This number exceeds the total number of deportations from 2010 to 2022 combined. “We are tightening the restrictions, simply put,” Suðurnes Police Chief Úlfar Lúðvíksson said in an interview with RÚV published this morning. He attributed the increase in deportations to a shift in border control priorities.

As RÚV notes, deportations are carried out under the Aliens Act, which gives police the power to deny entry to persons who “do not meet the requirements for travel permits, cannot substantiate the purpose of their stay, do not have sufficient financial means for their stay and return, or if deportation is deemed necessary for public order, national security or public safety.”

A 380% increase in deportations

“These are people who are unwanted,” Úlfar told RÚV, referring to cases where police turned away people who could not demonstrate a legitimate reason for entering the country. As Úlfar noted, travelers must prove that they are on vacation or are able to support themselves. Úlfar maintained that most deportees are people who intend to work illegally or engage in criminal activities in Iceland.

“These are individuals who may have links to criminal gangs, and we have also stopped people who were planning to engage in prostitution,” Úlfar explained. When asked if these legal powers had been challenged, Úlfar confirmed that they had been successfully enforced.

“We have won the vast majority of these cases,” Úlfar noted, referring to a case involving an individual suspected of planning to engage in prostitution in Iceland. Úlfar also noted that some individuals had “repeatedly attempted to re-enter the country,” with most coming from non-Schengen countries. “Most of them claim to be tourists, but they cannot provide any concrete plans and in most cases they have little to no financial resources,” Úlfar stated.

Úlfar characterized this increase in deportations as a policy shift, a response that was clearly reflected in deportation statistics. As noted by RÚV, deportations have increased from 121 cases in 2022 to 581 so far this year, representing a 380% increase.

RÚV.is

This increase is in line with the priorities set by the Suðurnes Police Chief, a position Úlfar assumed in 2020. “We have done this with the support of the National Police Commissioner and the goodwill of the Ministry of Justice,” noted Úlfar, who remains committed to further tightening border controls.

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