Denmark launches anti-refugee ad campaign

Some people ran from police as they plan to head for Sweden but Denmark said they must register as per the European Union’s Dublin agreement on asylum seekers.

The Danish PM said that Europe is “an extraordinary situation” due to the “double pressure” of economic migrants and refugees from war-torn countries like Syria.

In a Monday afternoon press conference, Rasmussen said that he has been in touch with both German and Swedish authorities in an effort to find a solution to the hundreds of refugees who are now arriving in Denmark, many with the wish to seek asylum in Denmark’s neighbouring countries.

Addressing the group of refugees who earlier on Monday left the southern Danish town of Roedby for Sweden, Rasmussen said they must be registered in Denmark as just letting them pass through the Danish border would be to “disregard our responsibilities”. In absolute terms, with over 80,000 asylum seekers a year ago, it is second to only Germany.

More than 400 refugees have crossed into Denmark from Germany since Saturday. It declined, along with other parties, to join the Liberal Party’s center-right government of Lars Lokke Rasmussen, leaving the prime minister in charge of a minority government.

The prime minister said he had spoken to German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday and that only a European solution would solve the crisis.

“There is something odd about the fact that a refugee would travel through several countries before ending up in Denmark”, she added.

The move, which was first announced in July, follows a decision by the country’s centre-right government to cut benefits to migrants.

Danish social media reacted sharply after the immigration ministry published advertisements in Lebanese media that contrasted Germany’s welcoming attitude to refugees and Denmark’s reluctance to let people in. The immigration ministry said “It is the Danish government’s ambition to reduce the number of people seeking asylum”, in emailed comments to Reuters.