Denmark’s parliament has voted in favour of seizing the assets of asylum seekers to help pay for their stay while their claims are processed.
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“Confiscating the valuables of refugees, which we have seen before in the history of Europe, is an inhumane scandal showing how far the right-wing government – with the support of the Social Democratic Party – are ready to go”, Mr Petersen said. Wedding rings and other “valuables of special emotional value” will be exempt from collection, but phones, watches, and computers are all fair game. Germany’s southern states have similar seizure laws and Switzerland requires refugees to hand over assets larger than 1,000 francs, or $996.
Tuesday’s bill includes several other measures regarding asylum seekers, including raising the waiting period before refugees can apply for their families to join them from one year to three.
Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen warned that the 1951 United Nations treaty governing the rights of refugees need to be modified and updated. Sweden, which took in over 160,000 refugees last year, the most per capita in Europe, introduced checks on its border to Denmark at the start of the year. The initial draft had no exceptions for items of sentimental value and aimed for a much lower 3,000-kroner threshold.
Denmark’s Minister of Immigration and Integration Inger Stojberg listens to the debate in the Danish Parliament, Jan. 26, 2016.
However, Danish nationals are not subject to the same kind of search as the refugees.
Refugees have to pay the transportation costs of family members they bring to the country. The move is backed by the anti-immigration Danish People’s Party, which wants to prevent refugees from integrating into Danish society.
People who have suffered tremendously, who have escaped war and conflict, who’ve literally walked hundreds of [kilometers] if not more and put their lives at risk by crossing the Mediterranean should be treated with compassion and respect, and within their full rights as refugees.
– Residence permits are shortened to two years from five for those granted a higher form of protection, meaning asylum seekers facing persecution based on their race, nationality, religion, political beliefs or association with a specific social group.
“Denmark has been tightening its legislation, Sweden has proposed a number of changes and Norway has recently proposed 40 different restrictions – some of these restrictions are even tougher than ones in Denmark”, Christoffersen said.
Denmark’s parliament is expected to vote Tuesday in favour of draconian reforms curbing the rights of asylum seekers, including delaying family reunifications and confiscating migrants’ valuables under legislation that has provoked widespread condemnation.
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Upon arrival in the country, refugees are required to turn over assets worth more than $983.
