Amnesty Faroe Islands chair condemns religious discrimination in labour policy

The chair of Amnesty International’s Faroese branch has warned that excluding Muslim workers violates international human rights agreements, following a government minister’s statement last year that the Faroe Islands would not accept Muslim labour migrants.

Regin Berg, chair of Amnesty Føroyar, told public broadcaster Kringvarp Føroya that “it is not permissible to discriminate against people based on their faith,” adding that such a policy would breach the UN’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

His comments come after Jacob Vestergaard, the Faroese minister for labour affairs, stated in 2025 that the government “does not want Muslims in the country as workers.” Berg questioned whether authorities could legally enforce such a restriction.