Minister of Social Affairs Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir formally opened a Polish news website yesterday as a subsection of dv.is, the news website for Icelandic daily newspaper DV. All the main stories from DV will be translated to Polish.
According to a press release, editor of DV Thórarinn Thórarinsson said the news website is meant to provide service for the more than 6,000-strong Polish community in Iceland. “Easy access to the main news stories from the Icelandic society strengthens the position of those who are trying to gain footing in a foreign community, foreign because of language barriers.”
“Everyone is happy with this development,” Thórarinsson added. At first the main emphasis will be on Icelandic news stories, but the website can also be used to mediate various information to Polish citizens living in Iceland and the main news stories from Poland can also be included. Wieslawa Vera Lupinska will translate news from DV on a daily basis.
“This is certainly a much-needed initiative,” said Helga Ólafs, information officer of Althjódahús, the intercultural center in Reykjavík. “Immigrants have increased steadily and now account for about seven percent of the Icelandic nation. Poles make up the largest community within that group, almost one third of it.”
