Language politics and immigrants’ inclusion in local governance in Iceland

Abstract

This article discusses an English-speaking council established in 2022 in a small multilingual community in southern Iceland. It engages with literature on linguistic justice to explore the intersection of immigrants’ inclusion and language policies. Foreign-born residents make up more than half of the municipality’s total population, and English has already become the prominent language of communication among inhabitants. The decision to establish the council was positively received by local participants in our study, but sparked criticism and a media debate about the importance of the Icelandic language for immigrant integration and social cohesion. Based on an ethnographic study, we demonstrate the importance of understanding the regional context in which such decisions are made. By focusing on the local level, we examine how the use of English has become central to local integration policy, while simultaneously the English-speaking council has prioritised improving access to Icelandic-language courses and to Icelandic society.