Denmark grants asylum to 'historically' low number
The Danish government approved a "historically" low number of asylum applications last year, it has said.
The Nordic country granted asylum to 864 people in 2024. In total, 309 were from Syria, 130 were from Eritrea and another 130 were from Afghanistan.
The only time in the last 40 years that the annual figure was lower was in 2020, when lockdown measures were in force due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Immigration Minister Kaare Dybvad Bek.
The minister said the decrease was down to the "strict asylum policy" pursued by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
Speaking to TV 2, he added that no more people should come to Denmark than "society can handle".
Frederiksen said she wanted to reduce asylum applications in the Nordic country to "zero" after winning on an anti-immigration platform in 2019.
The country's leader, who belongs to the centre-left Social Democratic Party, recently warned Europe's "left" that it needs to be tougher on immigration if it wants to stop the surge of right-wing parties across the continent.
Denmark has introduced increasingly strict immigration policies over the past decade.
In 2021, the country passed a law allowing immigrants to be moved to asylum centres in partner countries. The decision was condemned at the time by the European Commission.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
8 hours ago
- France 24
S. Korea's conservative contender Kim Moon-soo emerges from Yoon's shadow
The moment catapulted the labour activist-turned-lawmaker to fame that he now hopes to harness to become South Korea's next president. "He's essentially a presidential candidate that social media gave birth to," Jeongmin Kim, executive director at the Korea Risk Group, told AFP. Internet users dubbed him "stubborn Moon-soo" in approval of the move, which helped drive a small uptick in his beleaguered party's approval ratings. Yet the People Power Party (PPP) -- Yoon's former party -- wasn't always so keen on Kim Moon-soo's candidacy. The PPP selected, unselected, and then selected him again as its nominee in a high-profile bout of infighting. It was symbolic of the turbulence that has rocked the party since Yoon's botched bid to suspend civilian rule in December. On the campaign trail, Kim, 73, has sought to distance himself from the ousted president, who became the second conservative leader to be stripped of office, after Park Geun-hye in 2017. Kim offered his first apology "to the people suffering from the consequences of martial law" last month. "Martial law has not only made the economy and domestic politics difficult but has also caused significant challenges in exports and diplomatic relations," he told South Korean media. Korea Risk Group's Jeongmin Kim called the PPP's candidate a "chameleon-like politician capable of political survival". Shift to the right Born into a large family in North Gyeongsang province, about 300 kilometres (185 miles) from Seoul, Kim grew up in poverty after his father's co-signing of a loan plunged them into debt. Kim was politically active by his final year of high school, when he was suspended for protesting against military leader President Park Chung-hee. He attended South Korea's most prestigious university but started working in factories while studying for his degree and organising labour unions. He was arrested twice in the 1980s, first on charges of violating the Anti-Communism Law, and later under the National Security Act. Kim spent more than two-and-a-half years in prison and wrote in his biography about enduring electric shock and water torture. He was pardoned in 1988 and was stunned to find the country thriving. "My prediction that South Korean capitalism would eventually fail proved wrong," Kim wrote in his biography, with the collapse of the Soviet Union also upending his world view and leading him to join the conservative party. Kim was elected to parliament in 1996 and later served two terms as governor of Gyeonggi province, South Korea's most populous region. After being accused but not charged in an abuse of power scandal in 2011, Kim found his footing again among hard-right conservatives. His popularity with his party's hard line was bolstered by his attempt to revise history textbooks in ways seen as favourable to former colonial power Japan, plus a high-profile fine for attending a church service during the Covid-19 pandemic. He was appointed labour minister by Yoon in 2024 and was widely seen as part of the disgraced leader's inner circle. - 'Written a miracle' - Polls showed Kim trailing by at least 10 percentage points behind the opposition leader Lee Jae-myung and he was unable to convince third-place candidate, Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party, to merge forces and make the election competitive. With polls opening on Tuesday, "the question is to what extent can candidate Kim Moon-soo narrow the gap", said Heo Jin-jae, research director at Gallup Korea. "Any remarks that offend public sentiment could cost the candidates votes," Heo said. Another key question is whether he can win over moderates. "The conservative base in South Korea is ideologically broad and Kim Moon-soo's political character is quite distinct," Kang Joo-hyun, a professor at Sookmyung Women's University, told AFP. "Among moderates or pragmatists on the right, there's hesitation about whether they can fully back him," said Kang. In response to the sceptics, Kim recently recalled his last-minute victory in 1996, when he successfully ran for parliament. "You didn't think I would become the (final) candidate, did you? Neither did I," Kim told reporters on his first day of campaigning. "But we have written a miracle."
Euronews
10 hours ago
- Euronews
Rutte dismisses concerns over US troop withdrawal from Europe
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday denied any indication that the United States was reviewing its military presence on the continent, saying instead Washington would maintain "a very strong conventional" deployment in Europe. "What we know is that the US, next to Europe, of course also has to take care of the Middle East, has to take care of the Indo-pacific and it is only logical that over time as we are building up that the US will pivot so much more towards Asia," Rutte told journalists at a press conference in Vilnius on Monday. "But I am convinced there will be a very strong conventional US presence in Europe, next to the nuclear presence," the NATO chief added, speaking on the margins of a summit in Vilnius with the Bucharest Nine (B9) format and Nordic countries. Rutte's comments come amid long-standing allegations – spurred by US-Russia talks to end Moscow's war in Ukraine – that Washington would reduce or withdraw its troops in Europe. Last February, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Europeans during a visit to Poland that US troops on the continent were "important," and that "you can't make an assumption that America's presence will last forever." The US had nearly 84,000 service members in Europe in early 2025, according to a report from the Council on Foreign Relations, which also specifies that over the course of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now in its fourth year, the total number of troops has ranged between approximately 75,000 and 105,000 military personnel. In Vilnius, Lithuania's President Gitanas Nausėda echoed Rutte's remarks, saying he had not received any indication of a US troop withdrawal or reduction in Europe. Nausėda said there were so far 1,000 US soldiers "standing shoulder to should with the soldiers of Germany, Norway, and NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence," which includes battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. "We are ready to increase this number if there is political will from the US administration," Nausėda added. Candy manufacturer Haribo has recalled its 1-kilogram bags of Happy Cola Fizz in Belgium after traces of cannabis were found in some bags in the Netherlands, the Belgian food agency FAVV-AFSCA confirmed on Monday. In a joint press release with the agency, Haribo noted that consumption of these sweets can lead to health complaints such as dizziness. The withdrawal concerns large bags of fizzy colas with production code L341-4002307906 — the same batch that was recalled earlier in the Netherlands. "Haribo has carried out this recall in Belgium as a precautionary measure," Belgian food agency spokesperson Liesbeth Van de Voorde told Euronews. She noted that, so far, no reports have been received in Belgium of people becoming unwell after eating the sweets. "We have set up a consumer hotline for this purpose, and we have not received any news of issues in Belgium." People are strongly advised not to eat the recalled sweets. In case of consumption, it is recommended to contact a GP immediately. The one-kilogram bags of sour candies were already withdrawn from sale in the Netherlands following reports that several people in the country, including adults and children, reported feeling unwell after eating these sweets. A sample testing revealed that the product was laced with cannabis after police were notified of the issue. Dutch authorities are now investigating how the candy became contaminated with these drugs. In the Netherlands, only three bags are involved so far. Still, Haribo is recalling the entire stock in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. "The authorities' investigation concerns a limited number of reports and one specific product in the east of the Netherlands," Patrick Tax, marketing head for Haribo Netherlands and Belgium, told domestic media in Belgium. The withdrawal only concerns Haribo's 1-kilogram bags of Happy Cola Fizz with an expiry date until January 2026 and production code L341-4002307906. It is not clear which Belgian shops were selling these large packs. Van de Voorde added that this is the only product for which the agency has received information, meaning no other products are currently deemed a risk. Instead of returning it to the store where they purchased it, consumers are asked to send the product to the Belgian head office. Affected consumers should provide their details and bank account number to receive a refund.
France 24
20 hours ago
- France 24
South Korean voters weigh political divide in partisan heartlands
The election was triggered by ex-leader Yoon Suk Yeol's disastrous declaration of martial law last year. All major polls suggest victory for Lee Jae-myung of the liberal Democratic Party, with Kim Moon-soo of the right-wing People Power Party (PPP) trailing far behind. From the city of Daegu, for decades synonymous with conservatism, to Gwangju, the spiritual heartland of the left, AFP spoke to voters about where they stand and how the country's divide can be healed. - Switching sides - Lee Woo-hyun, an entertainment professional from Daegu and long-time conservative voter, told AFP the martial law fiasco "really shook" him. "When I talk to my parents and other senior citizens, I can see they are turning away from the red," the 45-year-old said, referring to the symbolic colour of the PPP. "Some might wonder how one incident could completely change my stance," Lee said. "But for me, it did. A lot of people in their mid-40s feel the same way. They don't think what happened was right." Generational divide Ko Seung-ju, an electrical engineering major, sees growing cracks in Daegu's traditional conservative support base. "Younger voters are no longer likely to blindly support the conservatives," Ko said. The Yoon administration's decision to cut the national research and development budget has hit science and engineering students hard, he said. "I really hope that gets reinstated." 'Balance is important' Kim Sung-gyun, 60, a former automotive industry worker, said he is undecided. He disagreed with Yoon's attempt to impose martial law, which he described as creating "extreme chaos". "People's lives are already difficult enough." But he expressed reservations about one side gaining unchecked power -- pointing to the opposition's near two-thirds majority in parliament. "Balance is important," he said. He said he plans to vote for whoever he believes "puts the people first", regardless of traditional regional loyalties. The unshaken Shopowner Kim remains unfazed by the martial law bid. "Declaring martial law was wrong, but nothing actually happened afterwards so they should just move on," said Kim, who declined to share his full name over privacy concerns. For the 69-year-old, the local economy is the primary concern. He said it was "wiped out" by the Covid-19 pandemic and has never recovered. "It's impossible to keep a business afloat -- there's rent to pay, wages to cover and constant stress piling on." A vote for democracy Lee Gwi-nye, 79, a lifelong resident of Gwangju, voiced firm support for the Democratic Party and its candidate Lee. "Democracy lets us live freely and comfortably," she said. "But parties like the PPP, honestly, don't feel democratic at all." To her, democracy means "being able to live and act freely, with peace of mind". 'History matters' Jung Se-yoon, 65, a retired teacher, said she doesn't believe in voting solely along party lines. But she vividly recalled a bloody 1980 crackdown in Gwangju by South Korea's former military regime which left hundreds dead or missing. "Those experiences still resonate. That's why I believe history matters," she said. The upcoming election must serve as a "turning point". "It will take far too long for the country to get back on its feet if we miss this chance -- and by then, we might fall too far behind," Jung said. Beyond party lines Haylee Lee, an English teacher, urged fellow Gwangju residents to "make a decision based on their own convictions" rather than fall into habitual partisan voting. What matters most to her is how much effort presidential hopefuls make to listen to the concerns of ordinary people. "Many politicians come from privileged backgrounds," she said. "I wonder how well they actually listen to the voices of the middle class." Pressure as a centrist Park Yeon-ok, 64, who works at a social enterprise in Gwangju, told AFP she often faces pressure when she identifies as a centrist. "Many people immediately ask: 'So you're not supporting the Democratic Party? Then are you backing the People Power Party?' That kind of reaction is pretty common," she said. In this election, Park sees PPP candidate Kim as someone capable of bringing about unity. "The divisions run deep," she said. © 2025 AFP
