Denmark: sanctuary ends in victory
01 January 1991
Denmark: sanctuary ends in victory
artdoc July=1992
CARF no 7, March/April 1992
[Campaign Against Racism and Fascism]
Danish anti-racists, while celebrating an asylum victory, urge
vigilance.
Seventy stateless Palestinians from the Lebanon, who sought
sanctuary in a Copenhagen church after being served with
deportation orders, have now been granted permission to stay in
Denmark on humanitarian grounds. The Danish government has also
promised that, for the time being at least, no Palestinians from
the Lebanon will be deported.
The Palestinians, who arrived in Denmark during the last two
years, had lived through the civil war in Lebanon, but had to
flee after Syria assumed suzerainty. Initially, their
applications for asylum were rejected on two grounds. First, that
Lebanon is safe for Palestinians - despite reports to the
contrary from organisations like Amnesty International, UNHCR
and Middle East Watch. Second, that it was the Palestinians'
country of first asylum. This astounded the Palestinians. `My
grandparents left Palestine for Lebanon in 1949', said one of the
refugees. `They did not ask for asylum in Lebanon, and I have
spent all my life in that country'.
The Palestinians, who had the support of immigrant organisations,
trade unions, churches and human rights groups, appealed, but
this was rejected. They sought sanctuary in a church in central
Copenhagen, where they received sympathy and solidarity from a
wide section of Danish society, including representatives of the
Jewish community.
Now, after months in the church, the Palestinians are free to
stay in the country. However, although this is rightly being seen
as an important victory, campaigners are all too aware of the
limitations of the decision. Issued with humanitarian residence
permits (similar to our exceptional leave to remain), the
refugees have only temporary admittance and so are not entitled
to settlement assistance from the Danish Refugee Council.