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Denmark tightens restrictions on Eritreans

A massive increase in refugees from Eritrea earlier this year led Denmark to put a halt to asylum for Eritreans until the Danish Immigration Service (Udlændingestyrelsen) could evaluate the reason for the sharp uptick. The results

A massive increase in refugees from Eritrea earlier this year led Denmark to put a halt to asylum for Eritreans until the Danish Immigration Service (Udlændingestyrelsen) could evaluate the reason for the sharp uptick.
The results of the Immigration Service’s investigation have now been delivered to the Justice Ministry and Eritreans will once again be eligible for asylum in Denmark – but under much tougher criteria than before.
The Justice Ministry said in a press release on Tuesday that Eritreans will no longer be automatically granted asylum if they came to Denmark to flee their home country’s authoritarian rule and compulsory military service.
Instead, Eritreans will need to show that they face a personal threat in order to be granted asylum in Denmark.
The UN reported in 2013 that Eritreans subject to conscription into national service risked retribution and even possible death if they fled the country. But the Immigration Service’s three-week fact finding mission concluded that an alleged shoot-to-kill policy targeting Eritreans who illegally leave the country “might have been party true previously but … people are no longer being shot at just because they try to cross the border into Ethiopia”.
Immigration Service also said that international reports of up to 10,000 political prisoners in Eritrea “is difficult to harmonize with the reality on the ground”.
The extensive fact finding report indicates that the human rights situation in Eritrea may not be as bad as rumoured, thus Denmark will no longer give blanket asylum to Eritreans.
“The report gives new and relevant information on the asylum situation in relation to Eritrea. The report shows that there was a need for updated information and that it was necessary for Immigration Service to carry out a fact finding mission,” Justice Minister Mette Frederiksen said.
Frederiksen wouldn’t comment directly on what would happen to the some 1,400 Eritreans who have been waiting in Danish asylum centres for their cases to be processed.
“As justice minister, I don’t have the competence to rule on concrete asylum cases. At the end of the day it will be Flygtningenævnet [the Danish Refugee Appeals Board, ed.] that will apply the meaning of this new information on Eritrea to the actual asylum cases,” Frederiksen said.
Throughout the first quarter of 2014, roughly ten Eritrean asylum seekers arrived in Denmark each month. In July, that number jumped to 510, leading the then justice minister, Karen Hækkerup, to put asylum for Eritreans on hold pending the Immigration Service’s findings.
According to Politiken, Eritreans make up the second-largest group of refugees in Denmark this year behind Syrians.

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Review overview
13 COMMENTS
  • Asmarino November 26, 2014

    Quote Of The Day

    “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.”

    —Martin Luther King, Jr.

  • luna November 26, 2014

    The above statement by Martin Luther King Junior is very true. Eritreans must not expect for good things to happen while each of us are individually doing nothing to bring change. This is one major weakness Eritreans have in order not to reach our goals in the struggle against tyranny under this particular regime. Running away is not a solution to our problem at all. Instead, standing up against oppression is the way. Let us make our effort where our heart belongs. Empty talk is not to bear result. Finished!

    • Tormented November 26, 2014

      “Eritreans must not expect for good things to happen while each of us are individually doing nothing to bring change.”

      Luna

      You are right, change starts by first looking inwards and trying to see own weaknesses. Am I doing my part ?, That should be the question to ask.
      Individuals contributing a small part in synch with others may help put a huge force into motion. We may not need to do a lot, but some small steps like going to opposition demo or signing a petition. In a nutshell, being involved is the way to make a difference. Besides, of course helping the opposition camp to stay focused by taking bold stand on the face of those trying to put it in disarray, without discouraging those who want express a different view on the situation.

  • nadiazaki November 26, 2014

    Despite the utter failure of the government (esp. internally), we should remain vigilant of the Ethiopian govt’s intent. Never should we trust Ethiopia. Period. They are working so hard to see at least a very week Eritrea; otherwise, whole Eritrea or part incorporated. I find this report by the Danish Immg. service to be helpful in separating facts from propaganda. http://www.nyidanmark.dk/NR/rdonlyres/B28905F5-5C3F-409B-8A22-0DF0DACBDAEF/0/EritreareportEndeligversion.pdf

    May God bring harmonious accord and good neighborliness between Eritrea and Ethiopia. May peace, and prosperity reign in that region.

    -NZ

  • Tamrat Tamrat November 26, 2014

    This is what i was afraid of in the last 2-3 years. The human traffickers (this time pfdj) won the exodes war. Europ and the west give shelter for the refugees who realy suffer from pfdj. But pfdj and its aliances crack the code and bombarded Europa With pfdj true children. This leads to pfdj to win both at home and abroad thanks to the weakest and most cyberish eritrean movement. Realy, it sad day for those who realy hate the oppressive pfdj regime. Where can they go! The hgdef People use the Young eritreans who have no hgdef Family member and lavish life in Eritrea. They use the same blood Money to send their children to Europe. Win win my charcoal black aaaaa!

    I was suspicious how hgdef People convince easly these New Commers to their groupp. Now i know. They are sent to join pfdj-international.

    I am not mad about Danish decission. but i mad about the europ hgder won.

    • saving young bahrenegashes November 27, 2014

      Tamrat Tamrat,

      You are very brilliant & far sighted .Either you are Ethiopian or my parents have raised you.PFDJ/Papa Isaias is always ahead of as the Diaspora rif raffs.

      Bravo T.T

  • Mike November 26, 2014

    justice minister, Karen Hækkerup – well done!

    It is time to lock things up. We Eritreans need the hard truth to deal with real issues back in Eritrea. Many Eritreans , flee claiming prosecution but once they are out they are all supporting the repressive ruling government in Eritrea. In fact, I hope Denmark rejects and revokes such refugees and ask them to go back to Eritrea. These few, spoiled apples, are ruining to those few who are being prosecuted for a fact.

    This is good!

  • AHMED SALEH !!! November 26, 2014

    Why are Eritrean refugee seekers outnumbered other African
    countries ? I expected Somalians will lead highest rate ?
    But in contrary they prefer to stay home arming themselves
    to fight back and die with pride in their Land .
    Stories of shoot to kill , Rashaidans at border area and
    refugee camps , Bedowins in Sinai , Mediterranean Sea
    and the fate of thousands refugee all over the world speaks
    itself .
    Eritreans in general are absent mind not to figure out what
    to do to resolve their issues . We oppose HGDF , we oppose
    oppositions just stranded on political rotations . Nobody
    except we Eritreans take the blame to our mess . Outsiders
    have a right to say take care your problems, we had enough .
    And to those who are already scattered all over , may God
    give them protection .

  • Alem November 27, 2014

    Time is way over due to depose the decomposing criminal ISAYAS AFEWORK and his criminal gangsters who forced you to this kind of inhumane treatment by reclaiming our Eritrea. Instead of our fate getting decided by a foreign government , lets shape and decide our future of our people and our country by taking over our country from the decaying murderer old man ISAYAS AFEWORKI and his criminal foot solders.
    OUR FATE and our future is on our hand and should NOT be decided by foreign government.
    Awetn selamn nhzbi Eritrea.
    Today is thanks giving day and I know most of us Eritreans does not seem we have anything to be thank full for, but lets be thank full for our heroic and heroin martyrs who gave their life for our freedom including our father Tewolde vaccaro , for our modern day tegadelti who are fighting relentlessly without getting tired and giving up.
    I am thank full for those Eritreans
    1-who are working very hard to unite our divided people so we overthrow the criminal tyrant.
    2-who are working very hard to chock the life lines of the criminal dictator ISAYAS AFEWORKI.
    3-Who are trying very hard to reach out and enlighten our armed services.
    4-who are working very hard to expose the lies and lies and lies of the criminal skunk ISAYAS.
    5- For our several medias and their production stuff for being the voice of freedom and change.
    6- For those who participate financially by contributing to our medias of freedom and change by realizing that, THEY CAN NOT FUNCTION WITH OUT OUR CONTRIBUTION.
    What are you thank full for?????????????

  • Abraham Hanibal November 27, 2014

    ኩሉ አርትራዊ ኣብ ኤርትራ ዲሞክራስያውን ፍትሓውን ለውጢ ክመጽእ ዝደሊ ዘበለ ነዚ ዕላማ ዚ ንምዕዋት ኩሉ ግብራዊ ስጒምታት ክወስድ ይግባእ። ካብዚ ወጻኢ ግን በቲ ሓደ ለውጢ ንደሊ በቲ ሓደ ከኣ ምስ ህግደፍ ንስዕስዕን ንበልዕን ንሰትን ንነግድን፥ 2% ንኸፍልን፥ ናይ ጣዕሳ ፎርም መሊእና ኣብ ዓዲ ከይድና ፈራዕራዕ ንብል እንድሕሪ ኮይና ለውጢ ክመጽእ ኣይክእልን’ዩ። እኳ ደኣ እቲ ጉዳይ ሰብኣይ ደሊኽን ጭሕሚ ጸሊእክን እዩ ዝኸውን ዘሎ።

  • lemlem November 27, 2014

    Denmak does not want to process Eritrean asylum cases on grounds that the situation on ground in Eritrea is not as bad as it is being rumored..??

    some naive believe Denmark’s findings on Eritrea’s situation to be true.

    what do you expect they should say when Danish are not interested to see refugees – AFRICAN refugees in their doors??

  • Truly Truly i say to you November 28, 2014

    Denmark may have full right not more to receive Eritrea asylum seekers, but to give such reasoning,
    “The extensive fact finding report indicates that the human rights situation in Eritrea may not be as bad as rumoured, thus Denmark will no longer give blanket asylum to Eritreans.” Which is total unacceptable. Because the assertion has nothing to do with the fact that seen on Ground. Do the Danish authorities know, as we do not have by public or by parliament elect leaders and president since our independence for more than 24 years? As well, do they know as we do not have constitution, rule of law and justice in our country? further to speak about rights freedom of speech and belief it may because consider like luxes i do not like to mention about, but do they know even as we do not have right to live and move in a place we liked to live or move inside our country, as we do not have right to work and do business whatever we like to do, and to study whatever we like to study specially in higher education level? To be honest from whole nations people in this world, no one suffering as we Eritreans by basic human right violation and suffering by wicked dictator power abuse. So by massive increase in refugees from Eritrea it is not only problem in Denmark, but is also Israel´s Italy´s in and other western Europe nations as well. So if really want to solve Eritrean asylum problems, the EU and US should help us like they helping other nations to remove their dictators also to remove our Tyranny dictator. This a right solution (justice,) which pleases God and everybody, but not when targeting the helpless victims.

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