Denmark cancels residence permits for hundreds of Syrian refugees

The Danish authorities decided not to renew the residencies of hundreds of Syrians, who have temporary protection residencies.

The Danish authorities estimate the number of those whose residence permits will be withdrawn at about 500 people, the majority of whom are women and the elderly.

Denmark is the only European country that has begun withdrawing protection for Syrian refugees and returning them to Damascus.

The Danish government has justified its controversial decision by what it considers a change in the security conditions in Syria, and indicates that tens of thousands of people from various countries have been able to return safely to Syria.

In this regard, the Danish Minister of Migration and Integration Affairs, Matthias Tesfaye, said in a previous statement published on the government website: “There are about 100,000 refugees who have returned to Syria from the countries surrounding Syria, so the Syrians in Denmark must also return if conditions permit. “.

He added, “The Damascus area and its countryside are considered safe, which means that the Protection Law (7.3) granted by the Danish authorities to refugees is no longer valid for people coming from there.”

But he stresses that Denmark is willing in return to give money to those who have to return and rebuild their lives in Syria.

Since the outbreak of the revolution in Syria, about 1.5 million Syrians have sought asylum in Europe, 35,000 of whom have obtained residence permits in Denmark, including permanent residence permits usually given to those who fled due to personal persecution, in addition to temporary protection permits, which are given to people coming from conflict areas.