Positive prejudices benefit Icelandic immigrants

The number of Icelanders in Norway has increased from 3,849 in 2008 to 7,565 in 2012. Anthropologist Guðbjört Guðjónsdóttir says that migration research has so far not focussed on immigration from a Western neighbouring country like Iceland to another. In daily debate Icelanders are hardly considered to be immigrants despite the fact that they really are, show preliminary results from her soon to be published dissertation.

Iceland was a part of Norway until 1814. Norway, meanwhile, was in a 434 year long union with Denmark. Until 1536 it was a personal union under the same monarch. Later Norway, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands were included as Danish provinces.

Denmark fought on the French side during the Napoleonic wars. Swedish crown prince Karl Johan beat the Danish forces. Denmark was forced to give up Norway, which joined Sweden in a personal union. Denmark kept Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, however. 

In 1918 Iceland gained independence from Denmark but remained in a personal union sharing the Danish king. Iceland became a republic in 1944.

Ingólfr Arnarson is considered to be the first person to settle down in Iceland. He arrived from Norway in the year 874. The painting is was made in 1850 by Johan Peter Raadsig