New Danish coalition eyes border relaxation with changes in asylum rules

COPENHAGEN, Denmark

A new left-right coalition took charge in Denmark after intense negotiations that lasted 43 days after the last elections that gave a narrow majority to the Social Democratic party of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

Joining the new government with Frederiksen, who headed a period of political smooth sailing with her one-party government in the last term, are two center-right parties: The Liberal Party and newly formed Moderates.

The coalition partners unveiled a working agreement "Ansvar for Danmark (Responsibility for Denmark)" that outlined their plans as the government.

The agreement includes measures on the future status of foreign residents in the country, including Syrian refugees, as well as a "re-worded" form of a controversial Rwanda asylum plan also adopted by the UK.

Immigration amendments

Ostensibly to cater to the rising right, the previous Danish government revoked residence permits of mostly young Syrian women refugees on the grounds that it was now allegedly safe for them to return to the Damascus area.

According to data released by the European Commission in June 2022, at least 34,000 Syrian refugees were granted permits to stay in Denmark since the war in Syria broke out in 2011.

The new agreement of the coalition members triggered a wave of criticism from rights groups over reports that it would renew Syrian refugees' residence permits who are "educated in areas where there is a labour shortage."

Nikolas Feith Tan, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, argued that views on Syrian refugees had shifted, especially about young Syrian women studying nursing.

Tan said the new Danish government was now essentially trying to carve out exceptions to this paradigm shift on temporary protection.

Refugees that can show that they are contributing and filling gaps in Denmark's economy now have higher chances of staying in the country than before the new government was formed, he explained, though adding caution to his optimism by saying: "It is not a shift entirely back to giving full protection and rights to the Syrian refugees."

Visas for skilled foreign workers

While an exception is being carved out in the country for Syrian refugees, at the same time, in a bid to make Denmark more attractive for skilled foreign workers to foster "good conditions for growth and competitiveness and to promote foreign investment," the agreement introduces similar plans for the government to "relax access to foreign labour for as long as unemployment is low."

"In addition to this, the government will introduce a scheme with lower pay limits for certified companies which are encompassed by controlled wage and working conditions," it says. There will be an annual quota of work permits under the scheme, which is to be reviewed every two years.

"This will, under controlled conditions, give access to additional labour," it added.

Expanding further on the same domain, the new Danish government plans to establish at least 500 vocational English-language masters degree programs in targeted areas that have a high demand for labor.

A "dialogue with universities" will "seek to increase the number of international students within defined areas where Danish companies need highly educated labour," it says.

Rwanda asylum re-worded

Rights groups paid particular attention to the Social Democrats' controversial Rwanda asylum plans that aim to move part of Denmark's refugee system offshore to Rwanda, as announced in 2021.

While the new government said it preferred to implement the plan in partnership with the EU, the plan has currently little or no support from within the bloc.

Prime Minister Fredrikson said Denmark could "ultimately" ink a bilateral agreement with Rwanda to open a center resembling a facility planned by the UK in the East African country to send people seeking asylum in Britain while their applications are being processed.

That scheme drew criticism from lawmakers, both within and outside the ruling Conservative Party, as well as charities and even the Church of England.

In Denmark, however, experts dismiss this ambition as far from reality.

Eva Singer, the director of the division of asylum and refugee rights of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has expressed her doubt about the practicality of the scheme.

"Denmark is not going to do it on its own. It wants to try to do it together with other EU countries. And other EU countries cannot do it because it is contrary to EU law.

"It has just been very clear to the government that this is not going to take place. In reality, it is too complicated if you want to abide by international law," said Singer.

While it remains to be seen if the government will be able to deliver on its plans, it seems mainstream politics in Denmark agrees on opening the economy for refugees and international students, while ensuring it does not antagonize right-leaning voters.