This morning, Dansk Folkeparti announced plans for a propaganda campaign aimed at deterring refugees from coming to Denmark with one clear message: “Denmark is not where your future lies.”
The proposal is modelled on a similar campaign launched by the Australian government in October 2014, warning the many asylum seekers seeking refuge in Australia via boat that ‘this will not be your home’.
According to DF’s immigration and integration spokesman, Martin Henriksen, Denmark must replicate Australia’s success by making a similar ‘information’ video in both Arabic and English, discouraging future refugees from coming to Denmark.
“We will inform potential asylum seekers, illegal immigrants and smugglers not to bother making the effort of getting to Denmark, because we are well underway tightening our asylum and immigration policy,” said Henriksen to TV2.
“If you want to look for happiness in Europe, then you have to look outside of Denmark. This is not where your future lies,” he continued.
Modeled on Australia
DF’s proposal comes in the wake of Australia’s recent success in limiting the influx of asylum seekers arriving by boat by spreading the contentious message: “No way. Australia will not be your home.”
It is clear that Henriksen has hopes for a similar success in Denmark.
“There is no doubt that [the video] has had a very, very large effect on limiting the inflow,” he said.
Venstre is critical
Venstre’s political spokesman, Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, expressed his concern over DF’s proposal, asserting that the Australian video is too tough and not in line with the Danish way of communicating.
“I have seen the Australian video, and I find it very difficult to imagine something similar working for Denmark,” he told TV2.
“That said, we are open to discuss other ways of ensuring that the knowledge of Danish immigration restrictions increase abroad.”
Mirrors similar proposals
This is the second time DF has proposed a video aimed at discouraging immigration to Denmark.
In 2010, they proposed a controversial video campaign which included showing topless women sun bathing on a beach, contending that the blatant display of liberalism may discourage extremists from choosing to move to Denmark. The proposal was not adopted.
