Brev fra den portugisiske delegation vedr. den danske lov om konfiskering af værdier fra asylsøgere

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Tordenskjoldsgade 1, 1055 Copenhagen K., Denmark
Phone: +45 33 37 80 40 - Fax: +45 33 37 80 30 - osce@oscepa.dk - www.oscepa.org
Mr. Peter Juel Jensen
Head of the Danish Delegation to
the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Copenhagen
21 January 2016
Dear colleague,
Dear Peter,
As you may recall, last June I wrote to you and all other Heads of OSCE PA delegations to
mark World Refugee Day. As Chair of the OSCE PA’s committee on humanitarian affairs, I
appealed to all OSCE parliamentarians to speak out against the erection of walls against migrants –
“either policy-wise or physical”. We all recognize the serious challenges presented by the current
crisis, and must be careful to maintain humanitarian perspectives in our responses.
It is therefore with deep regret that I have recently learned about proposed legislative
amendments in Bill L87 that would create a legal basis for the requisitioning of personal valuables
from asylum seekers to help finance their stay. The refugees seeking asylum throughout Europe are
doing so out of desperation, not choice. At best, this legislation appears to be intended to discourage
a welcoming approach to refugees – at worst, it appears to be punishment of those few refugees
fortunate enough to have survived the trip to Denmark with some personal effects intact.
I hope that the Danish parliament will reject the proposed amendments on moral grounds
and thereby demonstrate the open and humanitarian principles that Denmark is known for. Under
the current circumstances, I feel compelled to speak out against these measures and to appeal for
humanitarian treatment of asylum seekers in Denmark and across the OSCE region.
I look forward to continuing an active engagement within the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly on migration and refugee issues as we all seek sustainable and long-lasting policy
solutions to the current crisis.
Yours sincerely,
Isabel Santos
Chairperson, OSCE PA General Committee on
Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions
OSCEs Parlamentariske Forsamling 2015-16
OSCE Alm.del Bilag 13
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