Foreigners to get 100,000 kroner incentive to leave Denmark
The Copenhagen Post
Monday, 09 November 2009 12:40 KR News
Immigrants who cant or wont integrate into Danish society will get a bonus if they return home
The Danish Peoples Party (DF) has strengthened its immigration stance by securing an agreement to pay anti-social foreigners 100,000 kroner to leave Denmark.
As part of the on-going budget negotiations, the governments traditional ally DF said it secured the agreement late last night.
Refugees and those who come to Denmark under family reunification schemes currently get 28,256 in repatriation support if they leave, of which 11,000 is a bonus. The bonus is usually paid out a year after the recipient returns home and their right to Danish residency expires.
The new deal would see 100,000 kroner given as a bonus if a foreigner returns home and gives up their residency rights in Denmark.
Neither the government nor DF has yet elaborated on what constitutes an anti-social foreigner, but have said that it would be aimed at those who cant or wont integrate.
According to DF party leader Pia Kjrsgaard, the move will save the state a significant sum in local costs which are administered by local and regional councils.
Society will save a lot on an immense number of charges and problems. We already know that there are problems with nursing homes and have been problems with hospitals and health charges, Kjrsgaard said.
As part of the agreement local councils will have access to a 20 million kroner pool of funds to help motivate foreigners to return to their home countries and will be fully refunded for repatriation costs compared to the current 75 percent refund they receive today.
But opposition parties are shocked by the news saying it sends a clear signal to foreigners that Denmark wants to see them leave the country.
At the weekends negotiations, DF also secured a further agreement to crack down on immigration.
Ten million kroner of the budget will be set aside to improve passport control at Danish borders with the purchase of scanners that can check Interpol databases for stolen travel documents.
