April 14th – According to a report by the Russian Sputnik News Agency on the 14th, Denmark has begun to cancel the residence permits of Syrian refugees in its territory.
It is reported that the formal implementation of this policy makes Denmark the first country in Europe to deny residence permits for Syrian refugees. In recent weeks, a cumulative of 94 Syrian refugees staying in Denmark have been told that their residence permits have been revoked.
The Danish newspaper Politico quoted Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Covde on the 14th as saying that he explained the reason for the policy: “There is still civil war in many parts of Syria, but the situation varies from region to region of the country.” Based on this, the Danish government believes that the urban areas around the Syrian capital Damascus are safe and suitable for refugees to return.
Coved added that refugees who voluntarily return will receive a financial subsidy, and the government is trying to avoid forced repatriation.
However, the UNHCR expressed its clear opposition to the Danish government’s decision, because Syria is not safe enough. A UNHCR spokesman told the Danish newspaper Information: “The premise of repatriation policy is that it is as stable everywhere, but it is not seen in Syria.”
At present, Denmark hosts a total of 35,000 Syrian refugees, and the Danish government has not reached any agreement with the Syrian government on the repatriation of refugees. According to data released by the United Nations, there are still as many as 6.6 million refugees displaced by the Syrian civil war.
