New Denmark Immigration Law Okays Asset Seizure, Delays Family Reunions

Summary: A new Denmark immigration bill okays asset seizure of non-sentimental assets and delays family reunions for immigrants.

Denmark's flag flying in a strong wind: Per Palmkvist Knudsen, CC BY SA 2.5 Generic, via Wikimedia Commons

On Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016, the Danish Parliament passed, with approval by 81 of 109 lawmakers present, a new Denmark immigration bill that okays seizures of non-sentimental assets valued over 10,000 kroner ($1,450; 1,340 euros) and delays family reunion applications for immigrants, including asylum seekers.

In addition to allowable asset seizures, another main point of the new Denmark immigration law increases the wait for family reunification applications from one year to three years, after obtaining refugee status, for asylum seekers who are granted a lower protection status as escapees from indiscriminate violence instead of individual persecution. Refugees are expected to pay transportation costs for family reunifications.

Permanent residency applications feature new fees and time periods. Applications for permanent residence permits now include a fee of 3,700 kroner ($540; 500 euros). Eligibility for applying for permanent residency is raised from five years to six. Eligibility, however, reduces to four years upon fulfillment of such supplementary conditions as active citizenship, completion of Danish 3 language courses, steady employment for four out of the past 4.5 years, and an annual salary of 270,000 kroner ($39,230; 36,180 euros) for two years prior to applying.

Integration potential is deemed a critical factor in selecting the yearly quota of 500 refugees mandated by the United Nations. Integration potential considers variables such as age, education, language abilities, motivation and work experience.

Known as L87, the new Denmark immigration law takes effect next week, after an official signing by Queen Margrethe. With passage of the new Denmark immigration law, the flattest and smallest of Scandinavia’s five countries follows the lead set by Switzerland in the 1990s. Known as the Roof of Europe, scenic and wealthy Switzerland requires refugees to share in their asylum costs. Swiss authorities are allowed to confiscate cash in excess of 1,000 Swiss francs ($995, 913 euros) from asylum seekers. Assets other than cash are not seized.

“This practice is based on the fact that Switzerland (wants) people arriving in Switzerland to contribute as far as possible to the costs of the asylum process and the social assistance provided,” explained Celine Kohlprath, a spokesperson for Swiss migration authorities, explained in an email for Agence France-Presse’s article published Jan. 15.

With the new year, similar asset seizures have been taking place, in accordance with federal laws, in two states in southern Germany. Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria allow for seizures of assets valued over 350 euros ($380) and 750 euros ($815), respectively.

“If you apply for asylum here, you must use up your income and wealth before receiving aid,” Aydan Özoğuz, Germany’s Commissioner for Immigration, Refugees and Integration, stated in an interview with German tabloid Bild Thursday, Jan. 21, according to The Local’s same-day Denmark edition.

Appearing before the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee Monday, Jan. 25, one day before the bill’s expected approval, Inger Støjberg, Denmark’s Minister of Immigration and Integration, defended the bill that she introduced in the Danish Parliament (Folketinget) Dec. 10, 2015.

“Our expenses on asylum-seekers are the second highest in the whole of the EU, if you look at the percentage of spending relative to GDP,” Minister Støjberg explained. “Also, when we support asylum-seekers economically, it has clear economic consequences and the number of asylum seekers goes up dramatically.”

Denmark joins Germany and Sweden in accepting among the highest number of refugees seeking asylum in the European Union. In 2015 alone, Denmark, with a population of 5.6 million, processed almost 21,000 asylum applications. The 2015 total is slightly more than the 20,000 Syrian refugees that the United Kingdom has pledged to accept, spread over a five-year period.

Denmark's new immigration law passed Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016: Sky News @SkyNews, via Twitter Jan. 26, 2016

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Denmark's flag flying in a strong wind: Per Palmkvist Knudsen, CC BY SA 2.5 Generic, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dannebrog.jpg

Denmark's new immigration law passed Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016: Sky News @SkyNews, via Twitter Jan. 26, 2016, @ https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/692009519078055936

For further information:

Agence France-Presse. "Switzerland has been confiscating cash from asylum-seekers for years." The Global Post > Migrants. Jan. 15, 2016.
Available @ http://www.globalpost.com/article/6720348/2016/01/15/danes-debate-swiss-already-seizing-refugees-cash

Crouch, David, and Patrick Kingsley. "Danish parliament approves plan to seize assets from refugees." The Guardian > World > Europe. Jan. 26, 2016.
Available @ http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/26/danish-parliament-approves-plan-to-seize-assets-from-refugees

Dearden, Lizzie. "Denmark approves controversial refugee bill allowing police to seize asylum seekers' cash and valuables." Independent > World > Europe. Jan. 26, 2016.
Available @ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/denmark-approves-controversial-refugee-bill-allowing-police-to-seize-asylum-seekers-cash-and-a6834581.html

"Fremsat den 10 december 2015 af udlaendinge- ingrations- og boligministeren (Inger Støjberg). Forslag til lov om aendring af udlaendingenlovenForslag til lov om aendring af udlaendingenloven." Folketingstidende A. Lovforslag nr. L87. Folketinget 2015-16.
Available @ http://www.ft.dk/samling/20151/lovforslag/l87/bilag/1/1578594.pdf

"Here's what Denmark's new immigration bill means for you." The Local DK: Denmark's news in English. Jan. 26, 2016.
Available @ http://www.thelocal.dk/20160126/heres-how-denmarks-new-immigration-bill-will-affect-you

Hofverberg, Elin. "Denmark: Tougher Requirements for Acquiring Danish Citizenship Through Naturalization." The Library of Congress > Law Library > News & Events > Global Legal Monitor. Oct. 23, 2015. Available @ http://www.loc.gov/law/foreign-news/article/denmark-tougher-requirements-for-acquiring-danish-citizenship-through-naturalization/

Livingstone, Emmet. "Denmark's refugee asset grab." Politico. Jan. 26, 2016. Updated Jan. 29, 2016.
Available @ http://www.politico.eu/article/denmarks-refugee-asset-grab-migration-un-europe/

Marriner, Derdriu. "Denmark Wants Refugees With Over $1450 in Assets to Pay for Their Stay." Earth and Space News. Monday, Jan. 25, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/01/denmark-wants-refugees-with-over-1450.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Scandinavian Border Controls Slow Migrant Flow into Denmark and Sweden." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/01/scandinavian-border-controls-slow.html

Sky News @SkyNews. "Denmark Passes Tough New Immigration Law." Twitter. Jan. 26, 2016.
Available @ https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/692009519078055936