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Foreigners return to Iceland  E-mail
Friday, 08 May 2009 08:10
There are many examples of that foreign citizens which lost their jobs last fall and left Iceland to go back to their home country, have returned to Iceland. The reason for that is that the unemployment benefit is much higher here in Iceland than in their home country. This is confirmed by Thora Agustsdottir who is the head of the Eures office of the directorate of labor at Borgartun 7. The office is handling the employment matters of foreigners.

In march were 2146 foreign citizens registered as unemployed. There of was the largest ratio of Polish persons, or 1397. The Polish are 65% of all foreign citizens registered. Lithuanian persons are the second largest group.

Two Polish speaking employees work at the office in Borgartun and they take care of the most part of the matters of the matters of the Polish citizens. They have been approached by Polish persons that lost their jobs last fall. The persons in question left to their home country without applying for benefits. Now these persons are returning here to apply for unemployment benefits. The unemployment benefits are a little less than 150 thousand króna here in Iceland, but around 15 thousand króna in Poland. These persons who are returning say that they can not live off the unemployment benfits in Poland. They can get by better here in Iceland.

Thora says that the foreigners that are now returning to their home country are looking into their rights thoroughly. These persons are very likeley returning to Iceland. "This is simply about where it is more likely to get by well," says Thora.

 


News Article by noname
Translated by Anya
Original Article in Icelandic
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