Law Allowing Seizure of Refugees Valuables to Damage Denmark's Reputation

Spokesperson for the Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten ) party said that the law authorizing Danish authorities to seize the refugees’ valuables could damage Denmark's image abroad.

GENEVA (Sputnik) – The proposed bill, legalizing confiscating refugees’ valuables to pay for their stay, will damage Denmark’s reputation abroad if it manages to pass, a spokesperson for the Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) party told Sputnik Monday.

Denmark is expected to vote on the law authorizing its authorities to seize the refugees’ valuables should they exceed the sum of 10,000 Danish kroner ($1,450) on January 25.

"We think that this will damage the image of Denmark abroad," the spokesperson said.

According to the spokesperson, there are comparisons made in the international media between Denmark, considering this law, to "the Nazis who stole valuables from Jews and other groups being persecuted by Nazi Germany."

"But the fact that the comparison is made outside Denmark is definitely damaging to Denmark’s image," the official said.

The party views this law as an attempt to "paint an unrealistic picture of asylum seekers and refugees as being well-off persons who only come here to take advantage of the Danish welfare system" and to scare the potential refugees away from Denmark.

Earlier in the day, a Norwegian party made a similar proposition, urging for confiscation of valuables exceeding 10,000 Norwegian kroner ($1,144).

Earlier in January, the Council of Europe's human rights commissioner said amendments to Denmark's immigration policy were likely to violate international legal standards, while the UN High Commissioner for Refugees labeled Denmark's plans to restrict its immigration policies as a "deeply concerning" response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Europe.