Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Denmark passes law to move asylum centers outside the EU

Denmark passes law to move asylum centers outside the EU

Denmark has passed a law allowing it to relocate asylum seekers to third countries while their asylum claims are processed, in a move that has drawn sharp condemnation from human rights groups.
The bill paves the way for the establishment of offshore asylum centers outside the European Union. It was approved in Danish parliament on Thursday, a parliamentary press officer told CNN.

The legislation aims to send asylum seekers to reception centers in third countries once a quick process has been completed in Denmark. But the government has yet to outline where these centers will be placed, as it has not reached an agreement with a third country, Danish government spokesperson on immigration Rasmus Stoklund told CNN.

The Danish Refugee Council called the law "irresponsible." Its chief, Charlotte Slente, said lawmakers had voted blindly for legislation that advocates for an asylum processing model "that does not yet exist and which they therefore do not know what actually entails."

Stoklund defended the government to CNN, saying the aim is to stop people "applying for asylum in Denmark" and free up resources, otherwise used on asylum claims, which can be used in refugee camps close to war zones where the government maintains refugees are in greatest need.

More than half of asylum seeker claims in Denmark last year were rejected, he said, adding that the government hopes that reduced asylum claims would help to counter issues of integration and criminality in Danish society.

The law is the country's latest hardline measure aimed at sending a blunt message to asylum seekers, and Denmark's refugee and immigrant communities.

In 2019, the Scandinavian nation became the first democratic European nation to tell Syrian refugees originating from Damascus and its surrounding countryside to return to the war-torn nation. That same year, the government forced social and ethnic change in 15 low-income housing estates across the country -- which it called "hard ghettos" and which Danish regulations define partly according to the races of residents.

The measures are championed by the governing coalition led by the left-wing Social Democrats, which critics maintain is copying the language and policies of the far right.

On Thursday, the European Commission expressed "concerns" regarding "the compatibility of this text with Denmark's international obligations," its spokesperson for home affairs, Adalbert Jahnz, told a press briefing Thursday.

He added that the kind of external processing of asylum claims is "not possible under existing EU rules or proposals under the new pact for migration and asylum."

The EU will "now analyze the Danish laws pending their entry into force before deciding on any next steps" Jahnz added.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) warned last month that the bill could encourage a "race to the bottom" where "other countries in Europe and the surrounding areas will also explore the possibilities of limiting the protection of refugees in their own territory," the body's Nordic and Baltic countries representative, Henrik M Nordentoft, said in a statement.

He added that it might be impossible to implement such a law without violating international obligations set out both in the human rights and refugee conventions -- which Denmark was the first signatory to in 1951.

Denmark, like other countries in Europe, witnessed high numbers of asylum claims during the height of the migrant crisis. In 2015, it registered 11,539 asylum applications. Those figures have gone down in recent years. According to Statistics Denmark, 756 asylum applications were lodged last year.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Britain's Online Safety Law Sparks Outcry Over Privacy, Free Speech, and Mass Surveillance
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Grok 4 Video plus Voice, can identify wildlife!
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
The UK Does Not Have a ‘Far-Right’ Problem
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
JD Vance Warns Europe Faces “Civilizational Suicide” Over Open Borders and Speech Limits
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
×