"It's a small change for me to see that a group, which I believe is less than 100 people in total, will have the opportunity to get training in some of the things that are lacking in our society.” (dr.dk; 2023) 

This statement by newly minted Minister for Migration and Integration Kaare Dybvad Beck (Social Democrats)encompasses years of discussions about migrants’ role in Danish society and needs elaborating in a European context. We need to address the long-term consequences of Denmark’s short-term, protectionist migration policies. The opening statement was made when the Minister was made aware that Syrian youths were undergoing Danish training and education in social welfare jobs “lacking in our society” - yet, they were about to be deported. At this stage, it is important to note that the Danish Foreign Ministry advises its citizens not to travel to Syria and according to the UN, Syria is the largest refugee crisis of our time. All the while, Danish society has an ageing population and governments are doing their best to make social welfare jobs, like the ones these 100 Syrian refugees are training for, more attractive. So, is the new Government likely to do anything to amend the previous anti-migration policies? We will not hold our breath - and for good reason. Danish politics have for many years been marred with anti-migration stances and a protective nationalism. Having a rising demographic of senior citizens with health, safety and social concerns, fuelled by a political divide-and-conquer strategy where the logic applied was to argue that to safeguard the rising cost of welfare, Denmark could and would not invest money in non-Danes like refugees, asylum seekers and migrants who were not working and only costing society money. And this is without considering the social long-term cost of such inhumane treatment of people in need. We remain sceptical of this new government, because its leaders have been pushing for harsher immigration policies for decades. In 2014, then Minister of Justice Mette Frederiksen (now re-elected Prime Minister) commissioned a report on the safety of Eritrea following a surge in asylum seekers from the country. The report was heavily criticised and compounded by a report that brought to light that civil servants had been instructed to deliver a certain outcome. 

In 2016, as Syrians were fleeing Assad’s terror, the Danish government, then led by Lars Løkke Rasmussen, introduced the Jewellery Act, supported by the current Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen. It allowed Danish border authorities to impound (in other words: steal) valuables over a certain limit from Syrian refugees. The act, like most Danish migration bills, was to deter refugees from coming to Denmark. In 2018, referencing the takeover by the Assad government of the Damaskus province, the Danish government led by Lars Løkke Rasmussen (now Danish Foreign Minister) began work to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees to that province. He completely disregarded the fact that Syrian refugees fled the Assad regime and that opponents of his rule would have been tortured and killed - clearly, the area was unstable and unsafe. In 2018, the UN with the Comprehensive Protection and Solutions Strategy (CPSS) established 22 thresholds for when refugees can be asked to return to their country of origin. In 2021, Voices for Displaced Syrians reported that of the 22 objectives 4 have been partially met, 2 are unclear and 16 are yet not met. 

Denmark’s anti-immigrant policies supported by successive governments have also spilled over to neighbouring EU-countries in a terrible display of anti-European solidarity. In the spring of 2022 the Danish government was preparing to eject Syrians just when Ukrainian women and children were fleeing Russian bombs. It is not inconceivable, therefore, that had the EU not passed the Temporary Protection Mechanism for Ukrainian refugees, Danish politicians would have done the same to Ukrainians. Let’s now return to Kåre Dybvad Beck’s statement involving those 100 Syrian youths, undergoing training in welfare areas. Because with the history of all these anti-immigration policies, why do these youths get a reprieve? The answer should not surprise you: Denmark needs workers. Issues of immigration and refugees are complex and multifaceted, and Denmark's approach to handling it is no exception. Europe needs a comprehensive, humane and solidary response to the reality of our immigration challenges. No country must stand alone, but no EU-member state should be allowed to disregard European values of human dignity to the extent that Denmark has done in the past decades. This almost disassociated behaviour by Denmark on the issue of refugee management was made most clear one year ago, when the former Danish Minister of Immigration and Integration, Mathias Tesfaye, travelled to Strasbourg to try to defend the idea of outsourcing asylum seeker applications to Rwanda. The Danish Rwandan project remains a stain on Danish foreign policy and integration and it should be called out by Europeans across the continent for what it is: a clear display of anti-European values! 

With regard to the Syrian refugees, it seems clear that the decision on sending any Syrian refugee is not a decision guided by safety conditions in Syria but rather the self-interest of local governments. This flip-flopping is destroying lives, and should not be tolerated in our European community.