Faroe Islands and the European Union and other directives do not apply for the Faroe Islands. A protocol to the treaty of accession of Denmark to the European Communities stipulates that Danish nationals residing in the Faroe Islands are not to be considered as Danish nationals within the meaning of the treaties. Hence, Danish people living in the Faroes are not citizens of the European Union (other EU nationals living there remain EU citizens), and do not have right to settle in the EU without special permits. The Faroe Islands are not part of the Schengen Area. However, persons travelling between the Faroe Islands and the
LGBT rights in the Faroe Islands or be imprisoned for up to two years." When the law took effect on 1 January 2007, the Faroe Islands became the last Northern European country to ban discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation. Prior to 2012, LGBT rights was not a high-profile issue in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands had been viewed by neighboring countries and worldwide media as a homophobic country for a long time. Generally, this was because religious observance is stronger and more widespread in the Faroe Islands than any other Nordic country, and due to the lack of LGBT rights, such as recognition