Homeless eastern European immigrants have started to sell ‘Illegal!’, a cultural magazine about drugs and drug use in society.
The magazine is ordinarily sold on Copenhagen’s streets by drug users who keep 15 kroner of the 40 kroner sale price.
Legal eastern European migrants are now also selling the magazine – migrants who ‘Illegal!’ founder Michael Lodberg Olsen says are systematically overlooked by the authorities and charities.
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Neglected migrants
“Eastern Europeans have been showing great interest in selling the magazine and the Danish authorities aren’t dealing with them. They are left to a life on cold Danish streets – without support and chased by the authorities,” said
Simon Kratholm Ankjærgaard, the vice chairman of the ‘Illegal!’ board and a member of the editorial team, added that Danes should get accustomed to seeing marginalised eastern Europeans in Denmark.
“The EU’s open borders allow firms and citizens to create new opportunities for everyone. Therefore it shouldn’t come as a surprise that poor and marginalised people also cross borders to seek these new opportunities” Ankjærgaard said.
Decriminalising drug users
Ankjærgaard was previously the editor of the Danish homeless street sheet 'Hus Forbi', which he accuses of rejecting eastern European who wanted to be magazine vendors.
“This is a path we do not want to follow. We do not want to turn our back on a greatly marginalized group," Ankjærgaard said. "They are extremely capable and hard-working salespeople, and are therefore a vital resource in spreading our magazine’s mission to create more humane drug policies and decriminalise drug users in Denmark.”
Eastern European traders will wear an orange sticker with the slogan 'SOLD BY LEGAL IMMIGRANT' which gives customers the choice to support either them or drug addicts.
The second issue of ‘Illegal!’, which declares “ILLEGAL: “The best alternative to sucking dick on the street”, is now on the streets with a circulation of 10,000, twice the circulation of the first issue.
