How the Faroese exodus to Denmark is petering out

Rugged islands saw a record population of 51,000 last month

Aug 27, 2018

In recent years there have been ample stories regarding young people from the Faroe Islands being forced to relocate to Denmark to get an education or job they desire. In short, the women were disappearing from the island.

But something has happened over the past few years. From lofty sustainability goals and same-sex marriage to google street view and a surge in Thai women, the beautiful islands are staking a claim for their future.

Fewer Faroese people are flocking to Denmark to chase their dreams, and thanks to an influx of births and people moving from abroad, the island saw a record population of 51,000 last month.

Faroese fellowship
According to recent figures, just 36 percent of Faroese youngsters took an education at home on the island in 2011. Today that figure is 43 percent. And fewer are heading to Denmark to study now as well.

“There are a lot of young people who see a future in the Faroes. There is more and more life, and people are beginning to feel like being young and studying here is the same as in Copenhagen,” Linda Klein, a university student, told DR Nyheder.

“There is a kind of fellowship feeling going on now. We are becoming more and more people up here, and everyone is coming home again and feeling better for it.”

The economic growth of the island, which really began picking up in 2013, was at 5 percent in 2017 – in comparison, the rate was just 2.1 percent in Denmark – and unemployment has fallen to 2.1 percent over the past seven years.

Royal ruckus
And apparently this upswing has also led to more buoyancy when it comes to the national Faroese identity.

Because last week it emerged that Páll á Reynatúgvu, the speaker of the Faroese Parliament, decided to boycott a reception hosted by Danish Crown Prince Frederik, who is currently visiting the island with this family.

Reynatúgvu, who is a staunch supporter of Faroese independence, contended that the Danish royals shouldn’t host anything on Faroese soil and that the Faroese shouldn’t be made to feel like guests in their own country.

TOP STORIES

“Talents, start using AI tools now,” says Siri and Change.org founder

In an exclusive interview with The Copenhagen Post, the founder of Siri and Change.org, and currently VP of AI Experience at Airbnb, gives young talents advice on how to deal with the job market changed by artificial intelligence.
Testing free school meals for 20,000 kids and tax deduction for homeowners in 2025 Finance Act

The government has reached an agreement on next year’s Finance Act with SF and Radikale Venstre. A test on free school meals for a limited number of children will be introduced. Homeowners will get more options for deductions for home improvements
Make your voice heard as an expat

In my last op-ed, I made the case that we, expats living in Denmark, need to step up if we want to tackle the headaches that seem baked into expat life—e.g., counterintuitive laws and endless paperwork. With almost 16% of Denmark’s population made up of internationals, we actually have the numbers to influence real change. But after publishing the last op-ed, several readers contacted me and asked: Okay, but what can we actually do?
Danish politicians will double life science exports in a few years

“Strategy for life science” is a policy agreement to support the pharmaceutical industry’s opportunities to double exports to DKK 350 billion towards 2030
Royal House unveils new portraits of King Frederik and Queen Mary

Ten months after Frederik went from crown prince to king, new civil portraits of the new royal couple have been taken.
“Without internationals, we wouldn’t have the people we need,” says Fujifilm

Fujifilm’s Hillerød facility thrives with a diverse workforce, employing over 1,800 people from more than 65 nationalities. Morten Munk, Director of Global Alliance Management, highlights how the company’s rapid growth relies on attracting international talent due to Denmark’s limited pool of scientific professionals.

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

5 Dec: A guided tour of Christiansborg

Career

“Talents, start using AI tools now,” says Siri and Change.org founder

In an exclusive interview with The Copenhagen Post, the founder of Siri and Change.org, and currently VP of AI Experience at Airbnb, gives young talents advice on how to deal with the job market changed by artificial intelligence.
“Without internationals, we wouldn’t have the people we need,” says Fujifilm

Fujifilm’s Hillerød facility thrives with a diverse workforce, employing over 1,800 people from more than 65 nationalities. Morten Munk, Director of Global Alliance Management, highlights how the company’s rapid growth relies on attracting international talent due to Denmark’s limited pool of scientific professionals.
“Now the biggest challenge is to retain internationals”, says Ferring

Mads Hougaard, senior HR director at the pharmaceutical company, explains that “it is also a challenge for society itself. I think collaboration between institutions, companies, and stakeholders could be beneficial.”

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Jobs