Denmark Drafting Legislation to Reject Asylum Seekers at Border

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Danish government is seeking to introduce new legislation to allow for asylum seekers to be turned away at the border in the event of the de-facto failure of the Dublin Regulation, under which the first EU country of entry is responsible for processing an individual's asylum application, the Ministry of Immigration, Integration and Housing said Tuesday.

"We should be able to handle the pressure. That is why we are now introducing an 'emergency brake' that would enable us to reject asylum seekers at the border in a situation where the Dublin system de facto breaks down. We are also introducing a number of measures making it less [financially] attractive to apply here, and we will provide more assistance [in areas near conflict zones], where the money will benefit the most," the head of the ministry, Inger Stojberg, was quoted as saying in a press release.

The government's proposal also includes strengthening "preventive and investigative" intelligence work and stricter rules for those seeking permanent residence permits and benefit payments in Denmark.

"Despite the fact that the number of asylum seekers is lower this year than we initially expected, 10,000 asylum seekers are still too many and we wish to reduce this number further. At the same time, we should be ready to handle a new pressure wave in case a new gap emerges in Europe's borders," Stojberg added.

Amid a major influx of migrant to Europe, the number of individuals who applied for asylum in Denmark in 2015 exceeded 21,000. In response to the migrant crisis, Denmark, as well as some other EU countries, toughened its migration laws and temporarily reinstated border controls.