Denmark agrees to take some refugees, donates funds
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Denmark said on Thursday it would take in some more refugees and give funds mainly to strengthen European Union borders, after more than 8,000 migrants, many escaping a civil war in Syria, entered the country in the past 12 days. Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said his country would contribute 100 million euros this year and next to Europe's efforts to deal with a refugee crisis, mostly to the EU border agency Frontex. In a joint press conference, Immigration Minister Inger Stojberg said Denmark would not take part in any mandatory scheme to share the burden of taking in refugees as had been proposed by the EU Commission and advocated by some European leaders. However, Denmark has volunteered to take in 1,000 more refugees. Most migrants crossing into Denmark in the past two weeks have expressed hopes of moving on to Sweden, where they expect a warmer welcome. "It is the government's clear position that Denmark should not be part of any mandatory quota system where it is decided from Brussels how many asylum seekers we should take in Denmark," Stojberg told journalists. "We do already take a significant co-responsibility and treat the asylum seekers here fairly," she said. "In light of the extraordinary situation we are facing ... the government will offer to voluntarily accept a limited number of asylum seekers. The number is 1,000 persons." Denmark expects 20,000 asylum seekers this year after registering 14,000 last year. Sweden registered just over 80,000 refugees last year and expects the same number this year. A new centre-right government, backed for now by a populist anti-immigrant party, has tightened rules on accepting asylum seekers and in general the country is seen as having stricter laws on immigration than many other EU countries. Rasmussen expressed the conundrum many European leaders face as they deal with a crisis that evokes sympathy on the one hand and concerns over resources, security and assimilation on the other. "What's important for the government is that we take on the responsibility to make our contribution in Europe to finding a solution that balances safeguarding our humanitarian values with realism that ensures Europe can still be Europe," he told reporters. Of the 750 million Danish crowns pledged on Thursday, 500 million will be given to safeguard the EU's borders and 250 million to help countries neighbouring Syria that are taking the brunt of the refugee crisis, he said. (Reporting by Teis Jensen; writing by Sabina Zawadzki; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Hugh Lawson)
