Confronting the “strangers”

As usual, images prevail. In the past days Denmark hit the front pages of newspapers and online news, with pictures of trains loaded with refugees from Germany blocked by the Danish police, with images of hundreds of “pilgrims” striving to reach Sweden on foot along the motorway coupled by the outrages picture of a man spitting down on refugees passing under a bridge. But reality is always more complex that a snapshot. “A bad reputation.” Jann Sjursen, Secretary-General of Caritas Denmark gave the following account: “In the past week some 3 thousand people have reached and crossed Denmark. By foot, by ship, by train. We have seen that the majority wishes to go to Sweden. We have seen them land in our ports of Rødby or Gedser, arriving from Germany and crossing the Country, walking on our highways and roads. They want to reach their relatives. Also because Denmark has a bad reputation as regards the reception of migrants.” Once again the inadequacies of the Dublin Convention on Asylum, which also Denmark adheres to, have come to the fore. Now the situation is unblocked. The police no longer attempts to register these people, as it should. “At the moment there is a lot of confusion on the procedures to follow”, both in terms of EU regulations and as regards the agreements between Swedish and Danish governments.Politics and variables. In 2014 Denmark received 15 thousand asylum and protection requests “and therefore we are used to welcoming refugees and are a relatively hospitable Country”, Sjursen told SIR. But since past June’s elections the situation is no longer the same, since a right-wing party (Venstre) sits in the government, while the second largest party is the conservative Danish People’s Party. Lars Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s government is trying to make Denmark less “attractive”, starting by decreasing by almost 50% public support to asylum-seekers, coupled by the recent campaign to discourage immigration to Denmark promoted by Lebanese media, and stricter rules for family reunification (which now can be requested one year after the recognition of refugee status). There are also uncertainties regarding the decision of the Danish government with regard to legal cooperation policies in the EU, with regard to which it could exert its “opt-out” option. “At the moment the government line is to accept none of the 160 thousand newcomers in Europe”, which is a “real scandal”, Sjursen pointed out, although on the other hand Denmark “calls for concerted action at European level in this difficult situation.” Generous assistance. In any case, the pilgrimage through Denmark continues, while help has been offered by ordinary people, and at individual level. “Some of them have distributed food, clothes and toys for children”, the Caritas Secretary said; “some accompanied them by car up to Sweden; in other cases relatives or friends from Sweden came to pick them up.” Now those organizations that deal with migration and integration in the Country are trying to step up aids coordination. Municipalities have taken action to help these people; the Red Cross has set up dedicated reception centres which confessional and lay associations refer to. “We were used to the refugees, but not to what is happening now, not to the pictures that have triggered conflicting reactions”, Sjursen said. Some people felt the urge to help those in need, while others reacted with “unease”, and in more or less evident ways have turned their backs to migrants. Humanitarian and Christian values. Caritas Denmark has always been actively involved in emergency situations with programs for refugees – at political and international level alike – including Syrians, but in Jordan, said the Secretary General. Few Caritas centres have ongoing projects in Denmark. However, the present situation requires concrete action. “We continue repeating and appealing to the respect of the refugees’ rights as enshrined in the Geneva Convention, and to be generous in this situation of dire difficulties experienced by so many people in the world and by those arriving to Denmark.” He concluded: “We’re critical of the way the government is facing the refugee-question. Discouraging refugees from reaching our Countries conflicts with the true situation: we are among the richest countries in the world, and we should be doing much more than what has been done up to now, it reflects the humanitarian and Christian values we have always been defending in Denmark.”