Liberal Alliance would stop all asylum applications in Denmark for two years

Party would close borders to get a handle on refugee situation

Jan 21, 2016

Until there is better control of the refugee situation, government ally Liberal Alliance (LA) would suspend the requirements of the UN Refugee Convention.

The measure would prohibit asylum applications in Denmark for the next two years, reports Berlingske.

“We have to accept that we are in a new reality,” LA party head Simon Emil Ammitzbøl told the newspaper.

“We have an obligation to help the victims of the war in Syria, but we also have an obligation to take care of our own society.”

Ammitzbøl said the moratorium period would be used to “adjust the conventions so that they adapt to a new reality”.

A laughingstock
Dansk Folkeparti’s Martin Henriksen was positive about the LA plan, but Venstre’s immigration spokesperson, Marcus Knuth, rejected it out of hand.

Jonas Christoffersen, the head of the human rights centre Center for Menneskerettigheder, said that the LA proposal was illegal.

“I am deeply concerned that key political figures are trying to solve problems by extricating themselves from legal rules,” Christoffersen said.

Venstre’s foreign affairs spokesman Martin Lidegaard said that implementing LA’s suggestion would make Denmark the laughing stock of the world.

Denmark was the first country to sign the UN Refugee Convention when it was established in 1951.

TOP STORIES

“Talents, start using AI tools now,” says Siri and Change.org founder

In an exclusive interview with The Copenhagen Post, the founder of Siri and Change.org, and currently VP of AI Experience at Airbnb, gives young talents advice on how to deal with the job market changed by artificial intelligence.
Testing free school meals for 20,000 kids and tax deduction for homeowners in 2025 Finance Act

The government has reached an agreement on next year’s Finance Act with SF and Radikale Venstre. A test on free school meals for a limited number of children will be introduced. Homeowners will get more options for deductions for home improvements
Make your voice heard as an expat

In my last op-ed, I made the case that we, expats living in Denmark, need to step up if we want to tackle the headaches that seem baked into expat life—e.g., counterintuitive laws and endless paperwork. With almost 16% of Denmark’s population made up of internationals, we actually have the numbers to influence real change. But after publishing the last op-ed, several readers contacted me and asked: Okay, but what can we actually do?
Danish politicians will double life science exports in a few years

“Strategy for life science” is a policy agreement to support the pharmaceutical industry’s opportunities to double exports to DKK 350 billion towards 2030
Royal House unveils new portraits of King Frederik and Queen Mary

Ten months after Frederik went from crown prince to king, new civil portraits of the new royal couple have been taken.
“Without internationals, we wouldn’t have the people we need,” says Fujifilm

Fujifilm’s Hillerød facility thrives with a diverse workforce, employing over 1,800 people from more than 65 nationalities. Morten Munk, Director of Global Alliance Management, highlights how the company’s rapid growth relies on attracting international talent due to Denmark’s limited pool of scientific professionals.

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

5 Dec: A guided tour of Christiansborg

Career

“Talents, start using AI tools now,” says Siri and Change.org founder

In an exclusive interview with The Copenhagen Post, the founder of Siri and Change.org, and currently VP of AI Experience at Airbnb, gives young talents advice on how to deal with the job market changed by artificial intelligence.
“Without internationals, we wouldn’t have the people we need,” says Fujifilm

Fujifilm’s Hillerød facility thrives with a diverse workforce, employing over 1,800 people from more than 65 nationalities. Morten Munk, Director of Global Alliance Management, highlights how the company’s rapid growth relies on attracting international talent due to Denmark’s limited pool of scientific professionals.
“Now the biggest challenge is to retain internationals”, says Ferring

Mads Hougaard, senior HR director at the pharmaceutical company, explains that “it is also a challenge for society itself. I think collaboration between institutions, companies, and stakeholders could be beneficial.”

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Jobs