Morning Briefing – Monday, September 30

The Copenhagen Post’s daily round-up of the front pages and other major Danish news stories

Sep 30, 2013

No place like home
City officials and sociologists specialising in homelessness agree that given current legislation preventing foreign homeless from receiving state-funded social services, the best option is to deport them. Two of the city’s 20 employees working with the homeless are responsible for assisting the estimated 150 foreign homeless return home. Sociologist Lars Benjaminsen pointed out that most European cities have the same problem and called on the EU to lead efforts to come up with a solution. Some 150 foreign homeless are sent home by the city of Copenhagen each year. – Kristeligt Dagblad

Overestimated effect of hosting sport events
Experts are casting doubt on claims that hosing major international sporting events have a significant economic benefit for the country. Denmark annually spends 25 million kroner specifically on efforts to attract events such as the recent European volleyball championship or next year’s half-marathon world championships. Lawmakers and sports officials argue that the money is an investment, but two sports economists say organisers do not often take into account the full cost of holding the event when calculating its impact. Lars Lundov, the head of Sport Event Denmark, which co-ordinates efforts to land sporting events, admitted the organisation did not include intangible elements in its calculations, regardless of whether they could be assumed to have a positive or negative effect. – Politiken

“Humiliating” adult nappy use
Nursing home management and staff are expressing their dissatisfaction that upwards of 60 percent of residents are forced to wear adult nappies because they do not have time to assist them with visits to the loo. The employees say the situation is one example of budgets not keeping up with the growing care needs of nursing-home residents. Senior citizens’ groups called the situation “deeply degrading, humiliating and shameful”. – Jyllands-Posten

Improper deportation?
The Justice Ministry is prepared to re-open the case of deported Kosovan asylum seeker Remzi Baftijari after it was revealed that the anti-depressive medicine the 15-year-old was prescribed in Denmark is unavailable in Kosovo. Baftijari, who had lived in a Danish asylum camp since he was three, was deported two months ago after a request to be permitted to stay based on his psychological condition was rejected on the grounds that he could obtain the medication in Kosovo. An investigation later revealed that the medication is not available legally there. – DR Nyheder

Improper Metro noise complaint rejection: claim
The city of Frederiksberg is violating regulations for handling complaints about construction noise by rejecting a complaint by a resident to a Metro construction site. Proper procedure in such cases is to allow environmental appeals board Natur- og Miljøklagenævnet issue a decision, as has been the case in neighbouring Copenhagen. Frederiksberg’s refusal to pass on the complaint comes despite the city being informed on multiple occasions of proper procedure. Frederiksberg maintains it is acting properly, but accepted that should it be forced to allow Natur- og Miljøklagenævnet to decide, it would allow them to re-assess past complaints. – Berlingske

Editorial Excerpt | Climate progress
The decisive difference between the fifth IPCC climate report and the previous ones is that it is less alarmist. […] Hopefully, the toned-down, constructive rhetoric will be what it takes to establish geopolitical agreement about global efforts to reduce the effects of climate change, as well as promote continued economic growth. – Jyllands-Posten

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