“I want a normal life like everyone else”: Daily life of asylum seekers in Iceland

Abstract

Aim: An ever-increasing number of people seek asylum in Iceland. The wait for resolution on application for asylum can take up to three years. During this time participation in daily occupations is disrupted. This study was carried out to gain an understanding of the experience of living as an asylum seeker in Iceland. It explored asylum seekers’ opportunities for participation in occupations as well as their overall experiences while waiting for the processing of their application.

Methods: Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine participants, of whom six were asylum seekers. A constructivist grounded theory approach was applied to categorize and synthesize data.

Results: Four major categories emerged that reflected the participants’ difficult living conditions, lack of opportunities for participation, lack of belonging, and feelings of powerlessness. The long processing time of their applications was enormously stressful as well as not being in charge of one’s life, living conditions, or income.

Conclusion: The results indicate that the long processing time of application for asylum has deteriorating effects on health. In order to promote asylum seekers’ well-being and occupational rights attention needs to be focused on their living conditions and opportunities for participation in meaningful occupations, including work.

Keywords:

• Disruption
• living conditions
• occupations
• opportunities
• powerlessness
• waiting time

Acknowledgements

The authors extend thanks to the participants, especially the key informants, for sharing their stories and giving an insight into their lives. They also thank the Icelandic Red Cross for their assistance.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.