UN Condemns Danish Plan to Seize Migrants' Cash and Valuables as an 'Affront to Human Dignity'

The UN Refugee Agency is condemning a Danish plan to seize cash and valuables from would-be-refugees crossing the border, calling it "an affront to human dignity."

On Wednesday, the Danish parliament appeared poised to overhaul the country's immigration system, which would include empowering border authorities to confiscate possessions valued at over $1,450. That money, supporters of the measure say, would help Denmark defray the costs of the more than 20,000 asylum-seekers who crossed into the country in the past year.

"In Denmark, you should support yourself if you can," said Immigration Minister Inger Stojberg, defending the idea.

William Spinder, a spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), called the proposal inhumane. "Refugees have lost their homes and almost everything they possess," he told VICE News. "It beggars belief that somebody would want to strip them away from the little they have managed to salvage from their lives."

The proposal is part of a larger immigration measure being pushed by a coalition of right-of-center parties that control the Danish parliament with support from allies in the largest opposition party, the Social Democrats.

Starting last week, Denmark stepped up controls on its border with Germany, performing random checks and denying passage to more than 200 people. "The government doesn't wish for Denmark to become a new major destination for refugees," Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said last week.

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On Wednesday, the parliament extended that heightened border security for another 20 days and began formally debating the plan to start seizing asylum-seekers' assets. The proposal appears to have wide support and is expected to pass a final vote at the end of January.

The law was drawn up by the right-of-center Danish Liberal Party; in the assets it allows police to seize, it does make an exception for items such as wedding rings and family keepsakes — though gold bullion would be eligible for seizure.

Right-wing parties scored a major victory in Denmark in last year's election, and in recent months, the center-right coalition government has staked out an anti-refugee position. Government ministers and ruling-party leaders routinely make it clear that the country has no interest in becoming a haven for asylum-seekers. Last month, Rasmussen said that the UN 1951 refugee convention, a law created in the aftermath of the Holocaust, should be reconsidered and the international community should re-think the "rules of the game."

The Danish border with Germany has become a flash-point in recent weeks. Police have broken up protests staged by anti-immigration groups, calling for a complete closure of the frontier.

On the other hand, critics of the government have condemned its immigration policies in the harshest possible terms. "It is very odiously reminiscent of the German past — leave the valuables and go to the showers," said Derek Beach, an associate professor in political science at Aarhus University.

A spokesperson for the Danish government, Marcus Knuth, told the Guardian that such comparison were "ludicrous." "We're simply applying the same rules we apply to Danish citizens who wish to take money from the Danish government," he said.

With a GDP per capita that hovers around $50,000, Denmark is one of the most prosperous countries in the world. But some Danes were concerned that accepting refugees could divert resources away from needy citizens. "I realize it is sad for those people but as long as we cannot even take care of our elderly and sick people then maybe we should concentrate on that," 61-year-old Marianne Andersen told Reuters while the parliament was debating the new measures. Soren Ostergaard, 57 a teacher, however, considers the new proposals disgraceful. "[I've] never been more embarrassed by my country," he said. "We are a rich country with plenty of resources. We could definitely take more than we already have. We should just shut up and reach out to those in need."

Related: Sweden Imposes New Border Checks, so Denmark Follows Suit

Uffe Elbaek, leader of the opposition Green Party, was one of just a few politicians speaking out against the propsoal. "If you have a suitcase full of diamonds, you would choose a better form of transport than across the Mediterranean, putting your life at risk," he wrote on his Facebook page. "Refugees bring nothing more than the few personal belongings they can. Are these really the things we want to take from refugees in Denmark? I don't know whether to laugh or cry."

Over 1 million asylum-seekers crossed into Europe in 2015, many fleeing war zones in Syria, Afghanistan, and Iran. Denmark only accepted 20,000 — around 2% of all would-be-refugees in Europe. It's next-door neighbor Germany accepted more than 800,000.

Migrant advocates give Denmark poor marks for its asylum policies. In a full review of Denmark's asylum and immigration procedures published last week, the UNHCR warned that new restriction "could fuel fear" and incubate "xenophobia." The UN also noted that confiscating property without due cause violated migrants' basic rights. "It is an affront to their dignity and an arbitrary interference with their right to privacy."