Denmark to have an island for migrants

Denmark's centre-right government has announced plans to move migrants with a criminal record and rejected asylum seekers to the remote island of Lindholm. Around 100 people are to be settled there from 2021. Commentators talk of a "prison island" and see the move as the work of the right-wing populist Danish People's Party, on whose support the government relies in parliament.

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Polityka (PL) /

An island turned into a prison

Polityka doubts that Lindholm will become a regular deportation centre:

“The Danish People's Party makes no bones about the fact that it intends to treat these migrants like a dangerous, suspect and criminal group. This is why it points out that it would be best if the migrants were to leave the island as seldom as possible. It wants to reduce the number of ferry crossings between the island and the mainland and set up a detainment centre manned by security personnel. Although the government has promised that this won't be the case, it can't be ruled out that Lindholm will become a prison for the migrants.”

Dagens Nyheter (SE) /

Once you get involved with xenophobes

Dagens Nyheter shudders at the example being set by neighbouring Denmark and warns of similar circumstances in Sweden:

“Leading politicians in Sweden must not cede an inch to the Sweden Democrats. The belief that it is a paltry matter to vote for an SD-supported government is extremely naive. The idea that foreigners represent an existential threat and for that reason should be treated differently must not become widespread in Swedish society. ... Exactly seventy years ago the United Nations passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We must uphold it.”