Council of State: Syrian aliens may be transferred back to Denmark

Syrian aliens may again be transferred to Denmark without investigation. That is the Council of State Wednesday decided. In July last year the highest court also ruled that the State Secretary for Justice and Security should be able to motivate a transfer to Denmark on a case-by-case basis. The decision has been amended because there is no longer an ‘obvious and fundamental difference’ between Danish and Dutch policy.

The case was brought by a Syrian man who applied for asylum in the Netherlands while he had already obtained it in Denmark. His application was therefore not granted and so the man had to return to Denmark. The Syrian went to the highest court because he wanted protection against Denmark’s strict policy. The man was afraid that he would have to return to Syria, which was considered sufficiently safe by Danish authorities.

The Council of State states that there is no longer any fundamental difference between the Netherlands and Denmark in this area. This judgment is based on “information that the Secretary of State has obtained from the Danish authorities”, according to the highest court. Denmark is said to have changed its view of the security situation in the Damascus region and, like all other European countries, says it does not want any relationship with the Syrian regime. There will also be no forced deportations to Syria. Denmark’s policy therefore corresponds to that of the Netherlands.

Read also: Denmark sends refugees back: ‘When we arrive in Syria, my husband will be killed’

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