UNHCR opposes transfer of refugees from Denmark to other countries
In a statement, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) affirmed that it strongly opposes efforts to transfer asylum and international protection obligations to other countries or to outsource it.
Commenting on the Danish Parliament’s adoption of amendments related to the “Aliens Act” that would allow the government to forcibly transfer asylum seekers to a third country, UNHCR said that such efforts to evade responsibility run counter to the letter and spirit of the 1951 Refugee Convention, as well as the Global Compact on Refugees where states agreed to share the responsibility for refugee protection more equitably.
The Commission indicated that it “will continue to engage in discussions with Denmark, which has been a long-standing partner of the Commission, in order to find practical ways forward that guarantee the confidence of the Danish people and preserve Denmark’s international commitments.”
It noted that nearly 90% of refugees around the world currently live in developing or least developed countries, and despite this, they are playing their role and fulfilling their international legal obligations and responsibilities, despite their limited resources.
Earlier, the Danish parliament passed a law allowing authorities to transfer asylum seekers to other countries outside the European Union while their cases are reviewed.
