Jump to content

Strict Immigration Laws 'save Denmark Billions'


Recommended Posts

Denmark's strict immigration laws have saved the country 6.7 billion euros, a government report has claimed. Even though Denmark already has some of the toughest immigration laws in Europe, right-wing populist politicians

are now trying to make them even more restrictive.

image-111401-panoV9free-plsl.jpg

Immigrants in Copenhagen: The government has calculated their supposed cost to the country.

Denmark's strict immigration laws have saved the country billions in benefits, a government report has claimed. The Integration Ministryreport has now led to calls among right-wing populists to clamp down further on immigrants to increase the savings.

The extremely strict laws have dramatically reduced the flow of people

into Denmark in recent years, and many government figures are delighted

with the outcome. "Now that we can see that it does matter who comes

into the country, I have no scruples in further restricting those who

one can suspect will be a burden on Denmark," the center-right liberal

integration minister, Søren Pind, told the Jyllands Posten newspaper.

Pind was talking after the ministry's report -- initiated by the

right-wing populist Danish People's Party (DPP) -- came to the

conclusion that by tightening immigration laws, Denmark has saved €6.7

billion ($10 billion) over the last 10 years, money which otherwise

would supposedly have been spent on social benefits or housing.

According to the figures, migrants from non-Western countries who did

manage to come to Denmark have cost the state €2.3 billion, while those

from the West have actually contributed €295 million to government

coffers.

'Restrictions Pay Off'

The report has led to jubilation among right-wing politicians: "We

now have it in black and white that restrictions (on immigrants) pay

off," said DPP finance spokesman Kristian Thulesen Dahl. The DPP will

almost certainly exploit the figures in future negotiations over the

Danish economy.

But the report has sparked outrage from opposition parties like the

centrist Social Liberal Party, which dismissed it as undignified and

discriminatory. The party's integration spokeswoman, Marianne Jelved,

said: "A certain group of people is being denounced and being blamed for

our deficit, being made into whipping boys." She added: "We cannot

classify people depending on their value to the economy. That is

degrading in a democracy that has a basic value of equality."

Still, the announcement has not come as surprise. The right-wing

populist DPP, which has been working with the ruling center-right

coalition government of Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen since 2001,

has in the past made its aims very clear: a complete halt to immigration

into Denmark from non-Western countries. "A Somali who is no good for

anything, that is simply not acceptable," said DPP leader Pia

Kjærsgaard. Similarly, center-right liberal Prime Minister Rasmussen has

also said anyone who would be a burden on Denmark is not welcome in the

country.

Right-wing populists have even demanded a ban on satellite dishes so

that TV stations like al-Jazeera and Al Arabiya cannot be beamed into

Danish living rooms. There have also been suggestions to exempt migrants

from the minimum wage -- supposedly to make it easier for foreigners to

gain access to the labor market.

The small Scandinavian country already has the strictest immigration

and asylum laws in Europe. For example, foreign couples are only allowed

to marry if both partners are at least 24 years old. The number of

asylum seekers and relatives of immigrants seeking entry into Denmark

dropped by more than two-thirds within nine years as a result of the

tough laws.

A Decisive Issue in Denmark

But things may soon get pushed even further. Elections are due to be

held this fall, and the ruling parties apparently want to put forward

even stricter rules, driven by the xenophobic rhetoric of the right-wing

populists. In polls, the approval ratings of more liberal politicians

have fallen, and the opposition center-left Social Democrats have

promised not to change current immigration laws if they win the

election. Immigration will always be a big issue in Denmark -- almost 10

percent of Denmark's 5.5 million people are migrants -- and the issue

was a decisive one in the last election, in 2007.

In November, the government agreed to stricter laws and made the

entry of immigrants' spouses more difficult. Only those who collect

enough "points" may come to Denmark in the future -- with points being

determined by factors such as academic qualifications and proof of

language proficiency. In addition, the equivalent of €13,000 must be

deposited with the state in the form of a bank guarantee to cover any

future public assistance. Socially deprived areas with a

disproportionately high number of immigrants will be subject in future

to a so-called "ghetto strategy" designed to prevent high concentrations

of foreigners in public housing areas. Migrants will be assigned

housing, and three-year-old children who do not speak Danish well enough

will be required to attend state child care.

Some immigrants have already turned their back on Denmark

voluntarily. Increasing numbers of Somalis are moving away, especially

to the UK, the Jyllands Posten reported on Thursday, because of discrimination.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/putting-a-price-on-foreigners-strict-immigration-laws-save-denmark-billions-a-759716.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

made the

entry of immigrants' spouses more difficult. Only those who collect

enough "points" may come to Denmark in the future -- with points being

determined by factors such as academic qualifications and proof of

language proficiency. In addition, the equivalent of €13,000 must be

deposited with the state in the form of a bank guarantee to cover any

future public assistance.

That part actually is discriminatory as it assumes you will be on public assistance no matter what.

Other then that, if you don't want factory workers when you don't have factories who will have kids who grow up in the hood and sell drugs ok?

'We'll' (use it loosely) let your own kids sell those drugs to themselves??

Edited by GtLoc
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...