KAARE DYBVAD: Denmark’s Defence minister reconsidering Rwanda for asylum processing
Photo credit: CC/News Oresund
Denmark appears to be rethinking plans to outsource asylum processing to Rwanda, which it “temporarily” shelved in January 2023.
Minister for Immigration Kaare Dybvad said then that Denmark wanted to advance with its European Union partners and was aware that his country’s solution would do little to solve current problems.
Fast forward to May 6, 2024, when Copenhagen hosted an international conference focusing on immigration attended by more than 250 political leaders and representatives from international organisations including the UN and Europol.
Under discussion was the search for lasting solutions that also covered agreements with third-party nations which could help to regulate arrivals and speed up returns.
When greeting delegates, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen from the Social Democratic party pointed out that the immigration and asylum systems used at present had collapsed.
The EU’s Migration and Asylum pact had a solid basis on which it was possible to build, Frederiksen said. “But we also need broader and more equal partnerships, and a commitment to a long-term sustainable solution,” she added.
Inevitably, UK plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda were scrutinised, although Denmark, had signed its own bilateral cooperation agreement in September 2022.
Despite suspending plans to relocate asylum seekers and refugees there, Kaare Dybvad said during the conference that cooperation with third countries outside Europe would “reduce the incentive to come here.”
The Immigration Minister also emphasised that the Danish government viewed this system as fairer and more humane.
“It would reduce the power of traffickers and allow asylum to be granted to those who really need it,” he said.
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Originally from the UK, Linda is based in Valenca and is a reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering local news. Got a news story you want to share?
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