Priti Patel (Home Secretary) rarely stops talking about the topic of small boats carrying migrants over the Channel from India to Britain.
She had promised to reduce the number of migrants crossing the Channel by half as soon as possible, even back in October 2019. More than 1,400 migrants had arrived across the Channel since the beginning of that year – a figure that now seems rather trifling.
Then and now the Home Secretary’s tough rhetoric has failed to keep pace with the reality.
More than 25,000 migrants crossed the Channel this year. This is triple last year’s total. In the past two weeks, more than 1000 people have crossed the Channel in one day.
Last week, with Ms Patel blaming Brussels for the crisis, yet more startling statistics emerged – just five of those who have arrived in this way have been returned to the Continent.
Denmark became the first European nation that began sending Syrian refugee families home from the civil war. Many people from Damascus were stripped of residency and informed that their city was now safe. Pictured: Syrian woman bids farewell her Danish neighbor
Perhaps Ms Patel envies her opposite number in Denmark, whose government – through tough action as well as words – has managed to do what the Tories can only dream about – control and limit immigration.
Whether or not you agree with Denmark’s immigration minister Mattias Tesfaye’s controversial policies, his supporters say there is little doubting their effectiveness.
Denmark became the first European nation that began sending Syrian refugee families home from the civil war. Hunderts of Syrian refugees from Damascus had their residence status removed and were told that they are now safe in their hometown.
Each is offered about £16,000 to help rebuild their lives there. Although no one can force someone out, refusal could lead to indefinite deportation. Around 1,200 Syrians who live in Denmark are at risk. Very few people will leave.
In Britain, Ms Patel’s latest promise is to crack down on migrants by modelling new reception centres on those in Greece, where routine checks on movements along with curfews to prevent absconding are strictly enforced.
Each is offered about £16,000 to help rebuild their lives there. Although no one can force someone out, refusal could lead to indefinite deportation. Around 1,200 Syrians who live in Denmark are at risk. Many people leave unwillingly
‘If they breach the rules, it could affect their asylum claim,’ said a UK Government source.
Whether it will make much difference is anyone’s guess. However, this seems to be a slight tweak in comparison with Denmark’s drastic actions. The world was stunned by a photo of a Syrian woman saying goodbye to her Danish friend before being taken to deportation centres. The message was clear – the Danes mean business.
Mr Tesfaye insists – though many disagree with him – that the ‘general security situation in the area in and around Damascus has improved to such an extent that the need for protection for persons who are not individually persecuted… has ceased to exist.’ He adds: ‘Denmark has been open and honest from day one. We have made it clear to the Syrian refugees that their residence permit is temporary.’
While he is not a populist demagog, Tesfaye belongs to the Social Democrats of Centre-left, which lead the minority government. He’s also the son of an immigrant. His party denies taking a strong stance regarding immigration in order to win votes from the Right-wing.
Driving the new measures are fears, he says, that migrants are undermining Denmark’s societal cohesion, which many believe depends on cultural heritage and a shared language. Mandatory instruction in ‘Danish values’ for children in heavily Muslim neighbourhoods has also been imposed.
Denmark is widely regarded as one the most well-governed nations in the world. This country has been recognized for its highly functioning society, progressive social policy, efficient justice system, and low levels of corruption.
Unsurprisingly the targeting of Syrians hasn’t gone down well with human rights groups, but the policy has cross-party support and appears to have found favour with Danes, who enjoy a reputation as a tolerant, liberal and humane people.
Karen Nielsen Breidahl, associate professor in political science at Denmark’s Aalborg University, denies that this seems counter-intuitive. ‘You can celebrate multiculturalism and still be tough on immigration,’ she says.
Perhaps Home Secretary Priti Patel envies her opposite number in Denmark, whose government – through tough action as well as words – has managed to do what the Tories can only dream about – control and limit immigration
It remains to be determined how many Syrian refugees will return home. Lawyers representing them have been challenging the court ruling. It’s legal barriers that sometimes impede deportation cases in Britain.
As Ms Patel notes of the deportation process: ‘It’s a complete merry-go-round and it’s been exploited by a whole professional legal services industry.’
But Ms Breidahl says that Denmark’s vigorous approach ‘is a deterrent, a message saying, “Don’t come to Denmark.” It’s all about making the country less attractive to migrants.’
This seems to have the intended effect. This is the first occasion that the refugee population has outnumbered the immigrants. Mr Tesfaye says: ‘I am pleased because it shows, in part, that we can keep the influx at bay by pursuing a sensible policy in Denmark. But also because there are refugees who like to receive a bag of money and travel home and rebuild their own country.’
Mette Frederiksen, who at 44 is the youngest Prime Minister in Danish history, has promised to go further, saying that Denmark will aim to have ‘zero asylum seekers’.
The mother of two has also emphasized stronger welfare policies. These are traditionally linked to the center-Left.
Denmark discovered that Bosnian refugees, Iraqi and Somalia were among the most likely to go back to their homelands. Others cited a lack job opportunities or difficulty learning Danish, as key factors.
Peter Seier Christensen, deputy leader of The New Right political party, says that Britain and the rest of Europe has been ‘too soft’ on immigration.
According to him, Syrians living in Denmark should not be considered refugees but migrants.
This could have often been Italy or Greece.
Many people ended up in Germany, before they crossed into Denmark.
‘It is my belief that if you decide to move on from one of these countries to go to Denmark, you lose your refugee status, you become a migrant,’ says Mr Christensen.
Another factor fueling Danish anxiety is Sweden. Sweden sees itself to be a humanitarian superpower. Its open-door policy on immigration has, he claims, led to ‘cultural conflicts’.
‘I see Sweden as the canary in the coal mine,’ adds Mr Christensen. ‘That’s how Denmark will end up if we’re not careful.’
Last year, Sweden’s national police commissioner Anders Thornberg said rising gang violence could potentially be a ‘threat’ to its democracy if ‘certain groups’ continued to ‘stand outside’ of society, referring to immigrants in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
Asmaa al-Natour from Syria, an activist living in Denmark, has been here since 2014 when she claimed asylum together with Omar her son. She is currently awaiting deportation at Copenhagen’s Sjaelsmark Detention Centre. After learning Danish, she found work and paid taxes, as well as making Danish friends. She says: ‘Denmark has become a graveyard for refugees’ hopes and dreams.’
TEARS: Syrian Refugee Says Goodbye to A Neighbor