Nonprofit Condemns Danish Bill On Sending Asylum Seekers Outside Europe For Processing

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th June, 2021) The Copenhagen-based nonprofit Danish Refugee Council (DRC) on Thursday condemned the Danish parliament for passing a bill that externalizes the country's asylum obligations, calling the move irresponsible.

The Danish legislature on Thursday passed a bill that allows the nation to relocate asylum seekers outside Europe to have their refugee claims processed.

"The idea to externalize the responsibility of processing asylum seekers' asylum claims is both irresponsible and lacking in solidarity. We have repeatedly called on the Danish Members of Parliament to reject this bill. Similar models, such as the Australian model or the so-called 'hotspots' on the Greek islands, have involved serious incidents of detention, physical assault, slow asylum proceedings, lack of access to health care, and lack of access to legal assistance," the DRC said.

According to the nonprofit, it is still very vague how a probable reception center in a third country would be managed, given Denmark's legal obligation to protect the rights of asylum seekers and refugees and ensure their safety.

The passing of this bill poses a significant threat to the solidarity of bordering EU countries, particularly those in most impoverished regions, which shoulder enormous responsibility of hosting refugees globally, the DRC stated.