If a foreigner has lived in this northern kingdom for less than five years, they can be sent back to their homeland for any offense. Those who have lived in Denmark for between five and nine years can be deported after a court sentence of six months in prison. 'Old-timers' who have been in Denmark for more than nine years will be sent out of the country after committing relatively serious crimes, which are to be specified in a special list. So far, it contains only two types of violations – those related to drugs and violence against a person.
The law was criticized by authoritative human rights organizations, including the Red Cross and UNICEF, as well as part of the Danish legal community, as inhumane and contrary to the country's international obligations. 'Of course, there is a certain procedural risk: courts will have to face the fact that their decisions go against international conventions. But over time, things will work out,' commented Integration Minister Søren Pind, who initiated the adoption of the 'brutal law,' as critics call it, in the pages of the newspaper Politiken.
'Today no one can say exactly what consequences the parliament's decision will lead to. One thing is clear: courts will be overloaded with cases, and it will take a long time before practice on this issue is formed,' said Jonas Christoffersen, director of the Danish Institute for Human Rights.
In the same package as the new law on foreigners, parliamentarians adopted a law on financial compensation for municipalities that achieved the voluntary resettlement of citizens of other states to their homeland. For each 'returnee,' local authorities will receive a reward of 25,000 kroner (over 3,000 euros) from the state treasury. This package of laws was dubbed the 'stick and carrot' in Denmark.
Its opponents believe that the parliament's decision will lead to abuse. There is a risk that local authorities will start making money off foreigners who have a residence permit in the country, presenting them with a choice: return to your homeland either voluntarily or as a criminal. After all, the law allows deportation even for administrative violations, which are the 'diocese' of the local municipal police. Administrative offenses include a wide range of violations, from a satellite dish on a balcony installed without the permission of the building owner to walking a dog without a leash.
Neighboring Nordic countries reacted negatively to the Danish 'cleansing the country' plan, expressing hope that the rest of Europe would not follow Copenhagen's example. However, as shown by the recent decision of the EU summit in Brussels, allowing, following Denmark's example, the restoration of border and customs control on the internal borders of the European Union, Danish initiatives aimed at isolating the country initially only cause outrage among neighbors. In the next stage, mass copying of Danish 'know-how' begins.
Alexei SMIRNOV.
Novye Izvestiya