Despite Denmark watering down its new immigration law, passed in parliament on Tuesday, it has faced harsh criticism for it. But several lawyers and NGOs estimate that other EU members will follow suit with laws of their own, as more states try to curb an unprecedented influx of migrants and refugees.
Among the so-called “jewellery” bill’s most controversial measures is the one which allows police to search migrants’ luggage and seize cash and belongings exceeding DKK10,000 (€1,340). Only items of sentimental value will be exempted.
A controversial law, and a “shameful” vote say the law’s critics, some of whom compared it to the Nazis’ seizing of gold and valuables from Jews and others during World War II. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, however, defended it as “the most misunderstood bill in Denmark’s history.”
US-based rights watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) termed the legislation “despicable” on Wednesday.
Noted Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei has announced to withdraw his works from two museums in Denmark to protest the new law, reports Associated Press. Ai announced on social media Wednesday that he no longer wanted to have his works on display at the Aros museum in Århus and the Faurschou Foundation in Copenhagen.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the country’s influential anti-immigration party, the Danish People’s Party (DPP), on Wednesday said the Nordic country will “probably” tighten its asylum policies further as it had already struck an agreement with Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen’s minority government to retroactively lower social benefits for those granted asylum under the previous centre-left coalition, reports AFP.
The DPP is also behind a resolution, passed by lawmakers last week, pushing the government to look into the construction of temporary housing complexes outside cities for refugees, like the country did during the Balkans war in the 1990s.
Nordic welcome fades
The Danish government has been repeatedly forced to defend its policy.
“We’re simply asking that if asylum seekers – in the rare case where they do come with enough means to pay for themselves then – following exactly the same rules as for Danish citizens wishing to be unemployment, on unemployment benefits – if you can pay for yourself, well then you should pay for yourself before the Danish welfare system does it,” said government spokesperson Marcus Knuth on Tuesday.
Few people believe the seized cash and goods will raise any significant amounts of money.
But several institutions such as the Danish Institute for Human Rights are convinced that the focus on seizing valuables has shifted attention away from even more serious aspects of the bill.
“From a legal point of view, the most problematic issue is clearly the rule to limit family reunification so that some refugees can only seek family reunification after three years. And we find that a quite clear basis in international human rights law to say that is a violation of the individual right to family life,” the Institute’s head Jonas Christoffersen, told Euronews.
People fleeing indiscriminate violence rather than individual persecution might have to wait three years instead of one before applying for family reunifications. And once the application has been filed, the process can take years.
The waiting time has prompted allegations that Denmark will violate the European Convention on Human Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the UN Refugee Convention.
Other EU nations following suit
Denmark is also not alone in targetting migrants’ valuables. Switzerland has started taking valuables from asylum seekers over SFr1,000 (€904.5), the German state of Baden-Württemberg valuables above €350, and officials in Bavaria have started confiscating jewellery, valuables and cash from refugees entering the country to make them fund their stay.
A National poll on Monday showed support for Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven’s Social Democrats at its lowest for nearly 50 years, in part due to a sense the government was unable to cope with the refugee influx, reports Reuters.
Norway, meanwhile, has been trying to send back refugees who crossed over from Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday Moscow would not take them back.
“Most (refugees) have lost everything and yet this legislation appears to say that the few fortunate enough to have survived the trip to Denmark with their few remaining possessions haven’t lost enough,” the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said, mirroring criticism from many organisations.
