Click the tags above for all related articles
While Denmark’s migration minister offers some tough talk, he also presents a notably softer approach to the topic of immigration than his predecessor.
Europe’s future involves more barbed wire and fences due to an ongoing migration the EU has failed to fix, said Denmark’s new immigration and integration minister, Kaare Dybvad Bek, in a new interview with German newspaper Die Welt. The interview focused on Denmark’s uniquely strict immigration policy, how Denmark and Germany differ on the issue, and why immigration from the Middle East is uniquely problematic for Denmark.
“Yes, I think we will see more fences and barbed wire. Every nation-state must ensure that it is in control of its borders. If a majority in the European parliaments decides on a certain policy, then of course it has to be enforced at some point,” Bek said during an interview with German newspaper Die Welt when asked whether “Fortress Europe” would become a reality for Europe in the future.
“We must be able to decide how many refugees we want to take in. That should be a democratic decision,” added Bek.
Bek argues that migration flows are currently dominated by people smugglers, who are earning billions each year. He presents the issue in humanitarian terms, arguing that Europe is only promoting a situation favorable to people smugglers due to its current policies.
“So we need to create a system that respects the original idea of the Refugee Convention, which was to give protection to people who really need it and to do it as quickly as possible. We therefore hope that we can handle the processing of asylum procedures in third countries at a European level,” said Bek.