Europarlementariërs bezorgd over kinderen in Deense asielzoekerscentra (en)

Living conditions in Denmark's centres for asylum seekers and immigrants are generally satisfactory, but the well-being of children forced to live in them for years is a cause for concern, said Civil Liberties Committee MEPs who visited the Sandholm and Kongelunden centres with the Danish authorities and NGOs on 11 April.

The Sandholm and Kongelunden visits were the latest in a series to immigrant and asylum seeker centres across the EU.

After the Sandholm visit, EP delegation leader Panayiotis Demetriou (EPP-ED, CY), was very concerned about the psychological impact on the children of years of uncertainty as to their future. "At the very least, they should be treated like human beings," he said.

"The system creates children who are born in Denmark and speak nothing but Danish, but who are not accepted in society, added EP Vice-President and rapporteur Martine Roure (PES, FR), who criticized the fact that asylum seekers have to stay in the centres, often for many years, without being given permission to work or join in social activities.

On 10 April the MEPs met Danish NGOs, including SOS against Racism, the Danish Refugee Council, Save the Children and Grandparents for Asylum, in the Europe House in Copenhagen. Two asylum seekers told MEPs about the children's living conditions in the asylum centres.

On 11 April MEPs visited the Sandholm and Kongelunden asylum centres, which are managed by the Danish Red Cross, and also the Sandholm Foreigners Detention Centre, a closed facility with a capacity of 118 managed by the Ministry of Justice. They also met Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs Mr Claes Nilas.

Iraqi interpreters among the refugees

In 2007,  2,246 persons applied for asylum in Denmark, down from 6,068 in 2002, according to Danish Ministry figures. Of the 2007 total, 93 were unaccompanied minors below the age of 18. A total of 1,278 persons were granted leave to remain in Denmark, 308 of whom were Iraqi interpreters and their families who had helped the Danish armed forces in Iraq and had fled the country for fear of reprisals. A total of 754 persons were waiting to leave the country after having had their final pleas for asylum rejected. 

These EP visits aim to ascertain whether Community standards are being applied in the Member States. Having visited detention centres in Italy, Spain, France, Malta, Greece, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Poland and now Denmark, MEPs will go to Cyprus in May.

11/04/2008

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Head of Delegation : Panayiotis DEMETRIOU (EPP-ED, CY)