New poll: Widespread public support for policies to return migrants to their countries of origin
According to BT, a survey conducted by the analysis firm Moos-Bjerre Consultants for the Weekendavisen newspaper indicated that more than seven out of ten Danes agree that “foreigners convicted under the penal code” should be expelled from Denmark upon their first conviction. It also showed that a “significant majority” supports stripping citizenship from people of foreign origin if they commit crimes, according to the sources.
Support for deporting immigrants receiving social assistance
The report indicated that “about half of the participants” believe that immigrants who receive social assistance or public support should also be deported from the country.
The percentage of support for withdrawing citizenship and imposing new tests on citizens who were granted citizenship in recent years
According to BT, the survey also found that nearly a third of respondents fully or partially support a new test on Danish language and the constitution for all those who have acquired citizenship in the past eight years. Furthermore, more than half of those surveyed said they support the possibility of revoking citizenship from naturalized citizens if it is later discovered that they do not share so-called "Danish values.".
The Danish People's Party addresses Muslim immigrants in Denmark in its statements.
The article on the BT website points out that these results came at a time when the Dansk Folkeparti is proposing a policy of “re-migration,” stating: “For the party, it is no longer enough to reduce immigration from Islamic countries, but the trend must be reversed so that a greater number of immigrants leave the country compared to the number of arrivals.”
Some legal experts say that such proposals may conflict with the Danish constitution and the international agreements to which Denmark has joined, according to the BT website. This is currently the subject of political discussions and debates in parliamentary parties, between those who believe that Denmark should withdraw from the international agreements that prevent this from being achieved, and those who reject withdrawal but support a reinterpretation of the relevant agreements.
Political incentives: from “limiting immigration” to “repatriation”
The article features statements from Eva Selsing. Selsing said that Danes have always been relatively opposed to immigration, so it makes sense that they now want to reverse it on a large scale. According to the source, she explained that remigration is not the extreme option some portray it to be, but rather "the moderate response to a lax immigration policy and open borders that were in fact revolutionary and extreme." She added to BT that "returning migrants to their countries of origin is an absolute necessity if Europe does not want to collapse," arguing that throughout history, peoples have sought to protect their societies and cultures.
The article also quoted Kasper Møller Hansen, a professor of political science at the University of Copenhagen, as saying that the division of opinion on immigration issues is no longer centered on what traditional parties, such as the Social Democrats, used to call the center, but has shifted to the right. He added that “voters are now closer in their positions to the Dansk Folkeparti than to the center in parliament.”.
What do these results mean for the political landscape in Denmark?
Based on the results and statements, the BT newspaper website indicates that there is a change in the definition of what “moderation” and ”extremism” mean in immigration issues within public opinion: While some political forces see reverse migration or deportation to the mother country (remigration) as extreme and dangerous policies, its supporters see it as a realistic solution to preserve Danish national identity.
