Center Party leader Gunnlaugsson sets goal to prevent asylum seekers in Iceland ahead of 2024 elections

In the upcoming 2024 parliamentary elections, the leader of the Center Party, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, declared a goal for Iceland: to ensure that no one seeks asylum in the country. He emphasized the importance of sending clear signals regarding border management. The party unveiled its policies during a meeting in Reykjavík, advocating for an expansion of equity loans so that pension funds can provide them, simplification of building regulations, and distribution of the state’s shares in Íslandsbanki to the public.

Gunnlaugsson asserted the need for better control at the borders and suggested utilizing temporary exemptions from Schengen rules, similar to measures adopted by other nations. He emphasized the message should be that any asylum seekers who have previously been in a safe country will be sent back immediately to that country.

Additionally, the Center Party proposed modifying loan criteria to make it easier for borrowers in the capital region and called for a focus on balanced budgets. Plans include cuts to the city’s public transport development, reductions in climate initiatives, and decreased spending on the asylum seeker system. The projected state expenditures for the next year are estimated at around 1.49 trillion krónur, but Gunnlaugsson believes this could realistically be reduced to 1.3 trillion.

The party is also campaigning for fiscal responsibility to ensure that the budget remains balanced.