Construction and Social Effects of Iceland’s Immigration and Nationality Policy from 1944 to 1993

Abstract

Iceland achieved full independence in 1944 and took charge of the immigration office. Because the island is far from the mainland and most people share the same ethnicity, coupled with the need for national unity in Iceland, a closed policy of ethnic immigration was imposed from 1944 to 1993. In the Cold War, Iceland’s immigration system was based on nationality law, and the main features were a kinship-based naturalisation system, compulsory Icelandicisation of names and prohibition of dual citizenship. The three systems worked together to form a management system with different ethnic areas, shared culture and the nation; they solved problems of entry, assimilation and identity. This paper will study the period from 1944 to 1993 using a historical institutionalist approach and will take into account the social changes and regional development of Iceland after the war. It is systematically introduced how the immigration policy was formed at that time and what dual historical effects it had on Iceland. Research shows that at this time, conservative policies were institutional arrangements taken by Iceland to protect its ethnic group and strengthen the basis of national identity amid unstable sovereignty, culture and economy. This system helped maintain social stability and cultural independence at the beginning of the founding of the country, but it also had problems such as a rigid population structure and a lack of human resources; therefore, policy adjustments were made after the 1990s.