Newsgroup: it.politica
Titolo: Leghisti anche in Danimarca... :-)

news.telegraph.co.uk
Denmark calls halt to soft line on asylum
By Toby Helm in Berlin
(Filed: 01/06/2002) 
Denmark, which prided itself as an immigrants' haven, yesterday 
dumped its liberal asylum policies in favour of a law designed to 
prevent all but a few foreigners from settling there.
After a heated debate in parliament, the uncompromising "new policy 
for foreigners" put forward by Anders Fogh Rasmussen's centre-Right 
government was approved thanks to support from the anti-immigration 
Danish People's Party.
The law has provoked fierce criticism from human rights groups, 
which view it as a "racist" reaction to September 11. It ends at a 
stroke Denmark's reputation within the EU as a beacon of liberalism 
and pioneer of "multi-culturalism".
The law tightens rules on asylum, slashes benefits for immigrants 
by up to 50 per cent and ends automatic rights to bring in a spouse.
It also extends the waiting period for citizenship and benefits 
from three to seven years and demands that foreigners pass tests in 
written and spoken Danish and Danish culture before they can acquire 
nationality.
"We have carried out the tightening that had obviously become 
necessary," said Mr Rasmussen after the law was approved by 59 votes 
to 48.
About seven per cent of Denmark's population of 5.3 million is of 
foreign descent.
The law drew condemnation from neighbouring Sweden, where asylum 
applications shot up 68 per cent in the first three months of this 
year largely because of Denmark's impending legislation.
Mona Sahlin, the immigration minister, accused Denmark of 
"demonising refugees" and shoving the problem on to its EU partners. 
The number of applicants in Denmark dropped by 38 per cent in the 
same three months.
Belgium and France have also condemned the changes and had called 
for moderation from Denmark, which takes over the EU presidency at 
the end of this month.
Left-wing politicians said Denmark's reputation for tolerance had 
been scarred. Elisabeth Gerner Nielsen, of the Radical Party, said 
it was "an embarrassing day in the history of Denmark. It will hit 
the weakest people inside and outside the country".
More than 60 per cent of Danes supported the law, partly because 
they believed that the high number of immigrants was threatening 
their cradle-to-grave benefit and pension systems.
The People's Party also highlighted a link between immigrants and 
crime, saying that most rapes were carried out by foreigners.
Meanwhile, the United Nations refugee agency criticised the 
"overheated" debate on immigration in Europe.
It said seven of the top 10 countries of origin for asylum seekers 
arriving in the EU in the past decade had been or still are the 
centre of conflicts.
Data from the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees 
showed the 10 countries to be: Yugoslavia (679,927 asylum seekers 
over 10 years), Romania (285,452), Turkey (283,278), Iraq (239,013), 
Afghanistan (158,779), Bosnia-Hercegovina (151,334), Sri Lanka 
(108,343), Iran (105,536), Somalia (104,203) and the Democratic 
Republic of Congo (88,743).
A spokesman said: "It is striking that four of the top six asylum 
producing countries are European."
 
 
© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2002.

 crime, saying that most rapes were carried out by foreigners.
****
Anche loro hanno notato la correlazione tra immigrazione selvaggia e
aumento della criminalità. Cosa testardamente e contro ogni evidenza
sempre negata in Italia dai vari governi delle sanguisughe rosse.
GG
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