Migration has always been an integral part of human history, shaping societies and identities across borders and generations. In contemporary Europe, migration patterns have intensified and diversified, driven by labour demands, global inequalities and armed conflicts. At the same time, public attitudes toward immigrants have become increasingly polarised in many European countries (Hatton, 2021). Recent increases in migration have fuelled the rise of populist, anti-immigrant political movements, often perpetuating narratives that link immigrants to unemployment, crime or extremism, thereby reinforcing social boundaries and impeding integration (Kapelner, 2024; Klein, 2024; Rastas, 2019).

One key measure of successful integration is the extent to which immigrants feel a sense of belonging in their new communities. Research shows that students with immigrant backgrounds often report a weaker sense of belonging than their native-born peers (OECD, 2015; Archambault et al., 2024). This sense of belonging is shaped by multiple factors, including generational status and social context. While second-generation immigrants often report stronger feelings of belonging than first-generation immigrants, this is not universal (Fiddian-Qasmiyeh, 2016). Importantly, belonging is highly context-dependent and varies across countries, regions and local communities (Schneider & Crul, 2012).

Within this broader European context, Iceland offers a particularly revealing case. Although Iceland has not experienced anti-immigrant discourse to the same extent as many other European countries (Masso, 2008), immigration has increased sharply in recent decades. Iceland now has the fastest-growing foreign-born population among OECD countries (OECD, 2024), resulting in increased diversity in terms of ethnicity, language and religion. As a small and relatively homogenous island society, migration has an immediate and visible impact on local communities, making questions of inclusion and recognition especially tangible (Loftsdóttir, 2025; Tryggvadóttir & Skaptadóttir, 2018). The country’s experience of outmigration following the 2008–2009 financial crisis further shapes public understandings of migration and belonging (Guðjónsdóttir & Loftsdóttir, 2016).

The discussion explores how immigrant students in Iceland develop a sense of belonging, with particular attention to the role of the educational system. Rather than presenting a single empirical study, the panel adopts a conceptual and narrative, case-based approach, drawing on educational and social research, as well as policy and media discourse. A multidisciplinary lens is used to examine how belonging is shaped across different levels of society and how education functions as a key site for inclusion or exclusion.

Specifically, the discussion is guided by the following research questions:
• What are the main conditions that influence the sense of belonging among immigrant students in Iceland?
• How does the educational system contribute to this process?

The Icelandic case is discussed in relation to broader European research on immigrant student belonging, social integration and the role of ethnicity and religion. By situating a small-scale but rapidly changing society within an international context, the panel aims to contribute to European debates on migration, equity and belonging, and to explore how educational systems can foster inclusion in societies transitioning from cultural homogeneity toward diversity.

This paper employs a case-study methodology to examine how immigrant populations, particularly children and youth, navigate and develop a sense of belonging within Icelandic society, with a specific focus on the educational system. Rather than presenting new empirical data, it adopts a conceptual and narrative, case-based design that positions Iceland as a distinctive example through which broader European dynamics of belonging can be explored (Sonday et al., 2020). This approach aligns with the article’s aim to integrate research and policy perspectives and to illuminate how belonging is framed, negotiated and fostered within Icelandic education. The methodological approach is interpretive in nature and seeks to examine how policy frameworks, institutional practices and societal attitudes shape belonging, based on existing research and public discourse. By combining elements of narrative inquiry and case study design (Sonday et al., 2020), the study enables a context-sensitive discussion of belonging in education, contributing both to conceptual understanding and to policy reflection. The analysis synthesises secondary sources from multiple domains, including academic research and grey literature. While the study does not constitute a systematic review, the aim is to provide a broad and contextually informed overview of research, policy and public debate concerning immigrants’ sense of belonging in Iceland. The selected materials—research publications, policy documents and media texts—are treated as illustrative examples of dominant perspectives and discussions related to migration, integration and belonging. Source selection combined targeted searches for academic and policy materials with snowballing techniques to identify key studies and authors in migration and education research. Searches were conducted using Google, Google Scholar and Icelandic research databases, applying combinations of search terms such as immigrant students, sense of belonging, education and Iceland. The search strategy prioritised contextual relevance and contemporary perspectives, focusing primarily on publications from the past three decades addressing immigrant and multilingual children, educational policy and belonging. The analysis followed a thematic synthesis approach, identifying recurring issues across research, policy and demographic sources. These were clustered into five overarching themes: (1) the development of immigration and demographic change in Iceland, (2) adult immigrants and their sense of belonging, (3) the role of the Icelandic educational system, (4) language and belonging among children and youth, and (5) the changing political and social climate. These themes structure the subsequent discussion and reflect the interconnected social, educational and political processes shaping immigrants’ experiences of belonging in Iceland.

This paper set out to examine the conditions shaping immigrant students’ sense of belonging in Iceland and the role of the educational system in this process. The analysis suggests that while language and culture remain central, belonging is a deeply contextual and relational process shaped by social interactions, institutional practices and public discourse. Immigrant students in Iceland—much like in other European contexts—often report a weaker sense of belonging than their native peers, despite generally positive public attitudes toward immigration. As the immigrant population becomes more diverse, religion and ethnicity are emerging as increasingly visible dimensions of belonging, highlighting the need for inclusive policies that extend beyond language alone. The Icelandic case reveals a key paradox: a highly inclusive and equitable educational structure coexists with persistent inequalities in everyday experience. Although the comprehensive and democratic design of the education system is intended to support integration, gaps remain between inclusive ideals and daily practice, shaped by uneven local resources, insufficient professional preparation and limited coordination between national and municipal levels. Consequently, opportunities for belonging are unevenly distributed across regions and, in some cases, within the same town or city. The findings underscore that integration cannot rely on formal structures alone. Belonging must be actively sustained through practice, reflection and dialogue. Teachers, schools and municipalities require ongoing support to translate inclusive values into lived realities, while national authorities must ensure that equity and belonging are pursued as systemic priorities. Finally, Iceland’s evolving public discourse presents new challenges. The emergence of exclusionary rhetoric risks undermining the foundations of inclusion that the education system seeks to uphold. Beyond the Icelandic context, the article contributes to European debates by illustrating that belonging is not a fixed outcome but a continuous process that requires ongoing attention.

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