New Danish coalition plans changes in rules for Syrian refugees

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AA) – The new coalition in Denmark has unveiled a working agreement which includes measures on the future status of foreign residents in the country, including Syrian refugees.

The coalition was formed after the last elections gave a narrow majority to the Social Democratic party of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

Joining the new government with Frederiksen are two center-right parties: The Liberal Party and newly formed Moderates.

Immigration amendments

In order to cater to the rising right, the previous Danish government had revoked residence permits of Syrian female refugees on the assumption that it was now “safe” for them to return to the Damascus area.

According to data released by the European Commission in June 2022, at least 34,000 Syrian refugees had been granted permits to stay in Denmark since the war in Syria broke out in 2011.

The new agreement of the coalition members has triggered a wave of criticism from rights groups over reports that it would renew Syrian refugees’ residence permits who are “educated in areas where there is a labour shortage.”

Nikolas Feith Tan, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, argued that views on Syrian refugees had changed, especially about young Syrian women studying nursing.

Tan said the new Danish government was now essentially trying to carve out exceptions to this paradigm shift on temporary protection.

Refugees that can show that they are contributing and filling gaps in Denmark’s economy now have higher chances of staying in the country than before the new government was formed, he explained, though adding caution to his optimism by saying: “It is not a shift entirely back to giving full protection and rights to the Syrian refugees.”