Foreign employers advocate for criminal background checks for workers in Faroe Islands

Foreign employers looking to bring workers to the Faroe Islands are advocating for the mandatory requirement of criminal background checks for foreign employees. The Faroese Employers’ Association supports this initiative, stating that such checks should be included in applications for work and residence permits.

Bjarni Kárason Petersen, the Minister of Labor, emphasizes that foreigners should be required to submit proof of a clean criminal record when applying for work and residence permits in the Faroe Islands. He plans to approach the Danish minister responsible for immigration and integration to establish regulations that enforce this requirement.

Petersen insists that both national authorities and employers must ensure that foreign workers coming to the Faroe Islands have no criminal convictions. He believes that companies hiring foreign workers should be the first to request these background checks.

The Employers’ Association expresses its readiness to contribute to the work of implementing this requirement. They also note that foreign workers are generally considered reliable, well-mannered, and hardworking.

“We must be cautious not to fuel negative stereotypes about foreign workers by suggesting that many are lawbreakers,” states the Employers’ Association, highlighting the need for a balanced perspective.