Danish officials defend controversial asylum law

The country has insisted the new law is needed to stem the flow of refugees even though Denmark and Sweden recently tightened their borders, a move that prompted Germany and Austria to turn back new arrivals heading for Scandinavia.

Denmark passed a bill Tuesday to give authorities the right to seize cash, jewelry and other valuable items from arriving refugees in return for government social benefits while they await the outcome of their asylum applications.

The Scandinavian country’s proposals have sparked global outrage, with many comparing the new law and the treatment of Jews during the Holocaust.

The bill, presented by the right-wing minority government of Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, was approved by a huge majority of 81 of the 109 MPs present, as members of the opposition Social Democrats backed the measures.

Under the law, Danish police will now be able to search luggage of asylum seekers and seize cash and any individual items worth over 10,000 Danish kroner, or about 1,452 US dollars.

Proponents of the new policy say it brings migrants in line with jobless Danes, who must sell assets above a certain level to claim benefits, and ensures that they contribute to Denmark’s generous welfare state.

Under the Bill, refugees could keep possessions amounting to 10,000 Danish crowns (S$2,000), raised from 3,000 crowns after criticism from human rights organisations.

Denmark, a country of more than two million people said it expects to receive 20,000 migrants in 2016 – 5,000 more than it admitted in 2015.

For instance, he referenced the extension of family reunions from one to three years.

This could mean refugees might have to wait five years or more before their spouses and children can join them in safety in Denmark.

But Jensen and Stojberg faced pushback on Monday from liberal and left-wing European Union parliamentarians, who also took aim at a new provision in the Danish law that would delay family reunification for up to three years for people in need of temporary protection.

Critics say the legislation is aimed at deterring migrants from coming to Denmark in the first place.

Communist Party of Denmark chairman Jurgen Petersen condemned the “scandalous” law, saying it was part of a raft of measures created to force those fleeing war to seek refuge elsewhere.

As the migrant crisis shows no sign of letting up, once-welcoming Nordic countries are turning colder toward refugees. Under Swiss regulations, asylum seekers have to hand over assets above United States dollars 1,000.

Jonas Christoffersen, the director of the Danish Institute for Human Rights, told Al Jazeera: “The right of refugees to be reunited with their family is protected by numerous worldwide conventions ratified by Denmark”. How have the feelings towards refugees changed in the country in recent months?