Moderates call for Denmark to accept 7,000 refugees annually

The Moderates’ leading candidate for the European Parliament elections, Stine Bosse, claims it would benefit Denmark to receive about 7,000 refugees annually via an EU redistribution scheme. Asserting the need to mitigate the accumulation of refugees in Southern Europe and preventing migration from becoming a security risk, the Moderates’ stance conflicts with their government partners, the Social Democrats and The Liberal Party. They advocate for Denmark to abandon its legal reservation, which keeps the country out of EU cooperation on migration. In 2023, 1,343 asylum-related residence permits were granted in Denmark. Bosse later called her own announcement a ‘misunderstanding’ and the number of refugees a ‘fictitious figure,’ indicating it is not part of their immediate policy plans. Both the Social Democratic EU lead candidate and a Liberal Party spokesman oppose the proposal, stressing concerns over losing control and pointing to Swedish situations.