Danish government secures backing for bill on taking migrants' valuables

Denmark's government secures parliamentary majority for plan to seize migrants' valuables to help cover their accommodation costs, prompting parallels to Nazi Germany

Denmark's government said on Tuesday it had secured a parliamentary majority for a controversial plan to seize migrants' valuables to pay for their stay in asylum centres.

"The government, the Social Democrats, the Danish People's Party, the Liberal Alliance and the Conservative People's Party have agreed to amend the bill concerning valuables," a government statement said, indicating that wedding rings and other items of sentimental value would be exempt from the move.

In addition to wedding rings, it listed engagement rings, family portraits and badges of honour as items that could not be confiscated from asylum seekers.

Items such as watches, mobile phones and computers may still be seized, it said.

Copenhagen's right-wing government, which relies on support in parliament from an anti-immigration party, last week began backtracking on its proposal by raising the amount of cash a refugee can keep from 3,000 kroner to 10,000 kroner.

The proposal is part of a bigger immigration bill the Danish parliament is due to begin debating on Wednesday.

A vote will be held on January 26 but two right-wing parties that back the minority government in parliament, as well as the opposition Social Democrats, had demanded changes be made to the rules outlining what could be confiscated from migrants.

Integration Minister Inger Stojberg has faced a storm of criticism over the plans to search migrants' bags for gold and other valuables, prompting some commentators to draw parallels to Nazi Germany.

UN refugee agency UNHCR said on January 6 that the Danish government's immigration bill sent a signal to other countries that "could fuel fear, xenophobia and similar restrictions that would reduce – rather than expand – the asylum space globally."

The bill will also delay family reunifications for some refugees by up to three years.

Danish government secures backing for bill on taking migrants' valuables

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Good for them. The "migrants" claim to be poor refugees, so they should be.

Switzerland forces migrants to hand over possessions to help pay for upkeep

Switzerland copies Denmark and forces migrants to hand over possessions to help pay for their upkeep - but also claims 10% of any wages they earn for up to ten years

Migrants arriving in Switzerland are facing tough new integration measures

They must hand over possessions and are taxed 10% of future earnings

It follows an example set by Denmark which caused international outrage

The countries claim the measures are needed to pay for refugees' upkeep

Refugees arriving in Switzerland are facing harsh new integration laws with authorities confiscating valuable possessions and taxing 10 per cent of the migrants' future earnings.

Following the example set by Denmark, in which possessions worth more than 1,000 Swiss francs are taken, the country claims the measures are necessary to pay for the migrants' upkeep.

The harsh rules come as Denmark backtracks on similar measures after being rebuked by the UN refugee agency and drawing comparisons to Nazi Germany.

Local broadcaster SRF showed a receipt a refugee from Syria which he claimed to have received from authorities when he had to turn over more than half of the cash his family had left after paying traffickers to help them get to the Alpine country.

It also showed an information sheet for refugees that stated: 'If you have property worth more than 1,000 Swiss francs when you arrive at a reception centre you are required to give up these financial assets in return for a receipt.'

The country's migration authority SEM said the law calls for asylum seekers and refugees to contribute where possible to the cost of processing their applications and providing social assistance.

'If someone leaves voluntarily within seven months this person can get the money back and take it with them. Otherwise the money covers costs they generate,' an SEM spokeswoman told SRF.

Remarkably, those who win the right to stay and work in Switzerland have to also surrender 10 percent of their pay for up to 10 years until they repay 15,000 francs in costs.

Stefan Frey, from refugee aid group Schweizerische Fluechtlingshilfe, called the measures 'undignified'.

It comes as Denmark amends a proposal to confiscate refugees' possessions to pay for their stay by raising the amount they will be allowed to keep.

The plans sparked international outrage, especially in the US, where the Washington Post noted that confiscating jewellery from refugees had 'a particularly bitter connotation in Europe' where the Nazis seized gold and valuables from Jews and others during the Second World War.

Several organisations, including the UN High Commission for Refugees, also censured the Nordic country for the proposal, as well as for others that will delay family reunification and make acquiring refugee and residence status more difficult.

The proposal was a response to the tough new immigration policies in neighbouring Sweden, as the Danish government feared it would turn their country from a transition point to a final destination.

Hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants have passed through Denmark this year, but most have been bound for Sweden.

Read more: Switzerland forces migrants to hand over possessions to help pay for upkeep

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