Copenhagen, Europe Brief News — A Coalition of Muslim and Arab Organizations signed a petition to protest against Denmark policies to forcibly deport Syrian Refugees and refugees from other ethnic and minority backgrounds. The organizations called on the Danish government to suspend any plans to deport refugees and ensure full compliance with international law concerning refugees’ rights.
Almost 31 organizations refused the Danish policies and perceived it as a deviation from the rule of law in Denmark, Europe, and the world. For instance, such policies are against the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Danish action also is against The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and The American Convention on Human Rights.
The coalition representative Murad Al Halbi added that the Danish government is violating Rome Statute Article 7(2)(d), ‘”Deportation or forcible transfer of population” means forced displacement of the persons concerned by expulsion or other coercive acts from the area in which they are lawfully present, without grounds permitted under international law.
The coalition added that Deporting refugees who have settled in the country also a violation of Article 31 of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees provides as follows:
1. The Contracting States shall not impose penalties, on account of their illegal entry or presence, on refugees who, coming directly from a territory where their life or freedom was threatened in the sense of Article 1, enter or are present in their territory without authorization, provided they present themselves without delay to the authorities and show good cause for their illegal entry or presence.
2. The Contracting States shall not apply to the movements of such refugees restrictions other than those which are necessary and such restrictions shall only be applied until their status in the country is regularized or they obtain admission into another country. The Contracting States shall allow such refugees a reasonable period and all the necessary facilities to obtain admission into another country.
Al Halbi said that Article 19 of the European Social Charter provides that migrant workers lawfully residing within the territories of the State parties shall not be expelled unless they endanger national security or offend against public interest or morality.
He added that Hundreds of Syrian refugees whose residency permits have been revoked by the Danish authorities could face torture, enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention if forced back, said Amnesty International. At least 1000 refugees, including children, have been informed by the Danish Immigration Service that they will have to return to Syria after Denmark deemed Damascus and its surrounding area safe for return. Their temporary protection status, and therefore residence permits, have been revoked. Many of them are still waiting for their case to be finally decided in appeal.
Placing refugees in return centres indefinitely, without access to work or education, puts pressure on them to return. Forcing them back to Syria, even indirectly, would put them at real risk of torture and other serious abuses and would constitute a violation of international law,” said Nils Muižnieks.
The coalition urged the government to put legislation policies in place and not divide society based on identity. The Danish authorities must reverse this unconscionable decision to revoke temporary protected status for Syrians (and others) and end the targeting of these refugees who have already been forced to flee their homes and families.”
Over the past year, the immigration service has been reassessing the cases of more than 1,200 refugees from the wider Damascus region. “The conditions in Damascus in Syria are no longer so serious that there are grounds for granting or extending temporary residence permits,” it said. Many of those with temporary refugee permits are women or elderly, as younger men who were at risk of military conscription were usually given different protection. The government says it has always been clear that the protections it offered were temporary.
Hundreds are still waiting to hear what will happen, and many are facing long appeals. The Danish Immigration Service has decided on 450 cases since January, according to preliminary figures. About half resulted in new or extended permits. One hundred fifty-four refugees had their status revoked or not renewed, on top of 100 who had it withdrawn in 2020. Thirty-nine people from the Damascus area have received a final rejection from the Refugee Board.
The government based its decision on reports by the Danish Immigration Service. However, 11 of the 12 experts cited in a 2019 report have distanced themselves from its findings – and the 12th is a Syrian general who heads the country’s immigration department.
Thirty-three Euro MPs recently sent a letter to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen calling for a “180-degree turnaround” in Denmark’s asylum policy.
Background:
– Denmark was the first country to join the UN Refugee Convention in 1951 and, according to the UN, has traditionally been one of Europe’s strongest supporters of refugees. But it’s a changed picture today.
– In 2015, a peak of more than 21,000 asylum-seekers arrived in Denmark. Asylum policies were tightened significantly that year and again in 2019, moving away from integration to focus on temporary protection and repatriation.
– Successive Danish governments have pursued aggressive anti-immigration campaigns, including the seizure of assets such as jewellery from asylum seekers. In 2017, then-Integration Minister Inger Stojberg marked her 50th curb on immigration by posting her picture with a celebratory cake on social media.
– The ruling Social Democrats have also adopted a tough stance to win supporters back from right-wing parties.
Dansk koalition af muslimske og arabiske organisationer “afviser” udvisning af flygtninge
København – En koalition af muslimske og arabiske organisationer underskrev en underskriftsindsamling for at protestere mod Danmarks politikker om at tvangsdeportere syriske flygtninge og flygtninge fra anden etnisk baggrund og minoritetsbaggrund.
Organisationerne opfordrede den danske regering til at suspendere alle planer om at udvise flygtninge og sikre fuld overholdelse af international lov om beskyttelse af flygtninges rettigheder.
Næsten 31 organisationer afviste den danske politik og opfattede den som afvigelse fra retsstatsprincippet ikke kun i Danmark, men også i Europa og i hele verden. For eksempel er sådanne politikker i strid med den europæiske konvention om menneskerettigheder og grundlæggende frihedsrettigheder og den internationale konvention om borgerlige og politiske rettigheder. Den danske aktion er også imod The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights og The American Convention on Human Rights.
Koalitionsrepræsentanten Murad Al Halbi tilføjede, at den danske regering overtræder Rom-statuttens artikel 7, stk. 2, litra d), “Deportation eller tvangsoverførsel af befolkning” betyder tvangsfordrivelse af de berørte personer ved udvisning eller andre tvangshandlinger fra området i som de er lovligt til stede uden grund tilladt i henhold til international lov.
Koalitionen tilføjede, at udvisning af flygtninge, der er bosat i landet, også er en krænkelse af artikel 31 i konventionen fra 1951 vedrørende flygtninges status giver følgende:
1. De kontraherende stater må ikke pålægge flygtninge på grund af deres ulovlige indrejse eller tilstedeværelse sanktioner, som kommer direkte fra et område, hvor deres liv eller frihed var truet i henhold til artikel 1, rejser ind eller opholder sig på deres område uden at tilladelse, forudsat at de uden forsinkelse melder sig over for myndighederne og godtgør deres ulovlige indrejse eller tilstedeværelse.
2. De kontraherende stater skal ikke anvende andre restriktioner på sådanne flygtninges bevægelser end dem, der er nødvendige, og sådanne restriktioner skal kun anvendes, indtil deres status i landet er regulariseret, eller de opnår adgang til et andet land. De kontraherende stater skal give sådanne flygtninge en rimelig frist og alle de nødvendige faciliteter til at opnå adgang til et andet land.
Al Halbi sagde, at artikel 19 i den europæiske socialpagt bestemmer, at vandrende arbejdstagere, der lovligt opholder sig inden for de deltagende staters territorier, ikke skal udvises, medmindre de bringer den nationale sikkerhed i fare eller krænker offentlighedens interesser eller moral.
Han tilføjede, at hundredvis af syriske flygtninge, hvis opholdstilladelse er blevet tilbagekaldt af de danske myndigheder, kan blive udsat for tortur, tvungen forsvinden og vilkårlig tilbageholdelse, hvis de tvinges tilbage, sagde Amnesty International. Mindst 1000 flygtninge, inklusive børn, er blevet informeret af Udlændingestyrelsen om, at de skal vende tilbage til Syrien, efter at Danmark har vurderet, at Damaskus og dets omegn er sikkert for tilbagevenden. Deres midlertidige beskyttelsesstatus og dermed opholdstilladelser er blevet inddraget. Mange af dem venter stadig på, at deres sag bliver endeligt afgjort i appel.
At anbringe flygtninge i returcentre på ubestemt tid, uden adgang til arbejde eller uddannelse, lægger pres på dem for at vende tilbage. At tvinge dem tilbage til Syrien, selv indirekte, ville sætte dem i en reel risiko for tortur og andre alvorlige overgreb og ville udgøre et brud på international lov,” sagde Nils Muižnieks.
Koalitionen opfordrede regeringen til at indføre lovgivningspolitikker og ikke opdele samfundet baseret på identitet. De danske myndigheder må omgøre denne samvittighedsløse beslutning om at tilbagekalde midlertidig beskyttelsesstatus for syrere (og andre) og stoppe målretningen af disse flygtninge, som allerede er blevet tvunget til at flygte fra deres hjem og familier.”
I løbet af det seneste år har immigrationstjenesten revurderet sagerne med mere end 1.200 flygtninge fra den bredere Damaskus-region. “Forholdene i Damaskus i Syrien er ikke længere så alvorlige, at der er grundlag for at give eller forlænge midlertidige opholdstilladelser,” hedder det. Mange af dem med midlertidige flygtningetilladelser er kvinder eller ældre, da yngre mænd, der var i risiko for militær værnepligt, normalt fik forskellig beskyttelse. Regeringen siger, at det altid har været klart, at den beskyttelse, den tilbød, var midlertidig.
Hundredvis venter stadig på at høre, hvad der vil ske, og mange, der har, står over for lange appeller. Ifølge de foreløbige tal har Udlændingestyrelsen taget stilling til 450 sager siden januar. Omkring halvdelen resulterede i nye eller forlængede tilladelser. 154 flygtninge fik deres status ophævet eller ikke fornyet, oven i 100, der fik den trukket tilbage i 2020. Niogtredive personer fra Damaskus-området har fået et endeligt afslag fra Flygtningenævnet
Regeringen lagde til grund for sin afgørelse af indberetninger fra Udlændingestyrelsen. 11 af de 12 eksperter, der er citeret i en rapport fra 2019, har dog taget afstand fra dens resultater – og den 12. er en syrisk general, der leder landets immigrationsafdeling.
Treogtrediveeuropaparlamentarikere sendte for nylig et brev til statsminister Mette Frederiksen, hvor de opfordrede til en “180 graders vending” i Danmarks asylpolitik.
Baggrund:
– Danmark var det første land, der tilsluttede sig FN’s
– Flygtningekonvention i 1951 og har ifølge FN traditionelt været en af Europas stærkeste tilhængere af flygtninge. Men det er et ændret billede i dag.
– I 2015 kom der et højdepunkt på mere end 21.000 asylansøgere til Danmark. Asylpolitikkerne blev strammet betydeligt det år og igen i 2019, hvor de bevægede sig væk fra integration til at fokusere på midlertidig beskyttelse og hjemsendelse.
– Successive danske regeringer har ført aggressive anti-immigrationskampagner, herunder beslaglæggelse af aktiver såsom smykker fra asylansøgere. I 2017 markerede daværende integrationsminister Inger Stojberg sin 50. indvandringsgrænse ved at poste et billede af hende med en festlig kage på de sociale medier.
– De regerende socialdemokrater har også indtaget en hård holdning for at vinde støtter tilbage fra højrefløjspartierne.
Underskrevet og godkendt af:
Signed and endorsed By:
The Arab Academy in Denmark
Arabisk Akademi i Danamark
Islamic Cultural Center in Copenhagen (Denmark)
The Cultural Center in Helsingør, Denmark
The Council of the Syrian Community in Denmark,
The Egyptian community in Denmark
Eygptisk Dansk Samfund EDS Copenhagen Grand Mosque
The Moroccan community in Denmark Marokkaner i Danmark
Syrian Foundation for Rights
Syrians gather in Denmark
The Muslims of Denmark
Demokratiske muslime
The Arab community in Denmark
The Danish Palestinian Foundation
Arab group in Copenhagen
Palestinian Action Network
Denmark Pulse Media Group
Det algeriske samfund i Danmark – The Algerian community in Denmark
Danish Arab Cultural Federation,
Palestinian Federation in Aarhus,
Palestinian Action Network for Information,
Guardians of Peace Foundation
Det kurdiske samfund i Danmark
Denmark Branch – Communities Office in the Syrian National Coalition
International Advocacy Association
Imam Malik Foundation
The gathering of Muslim imams in Denmark
The Association of Imams in Scandinavia
Turkish-Danish religious endowment
The Danish Islamic Society
and the Federation of International Democrats.
