A political agreement ensures Afghans who have worked for Denmark in the country for the past two years and their families temporary residence for two years.
However, six out of ten Danes believe that Denmark should let them become permanent. It shows a study done by Voxmeter for Ritzau.
Here, approximately 60 percent agree or strongly agree that Denmark must grant a permanent residence permit to all Afghan employees who have worked for Denmark in Afghanistan.
The government’s support party, the Unity List, believes it is important that the rules are softened in order to obtain a permanent residence permit.
– Today, the rules for permanent residence are really, really strict, so many Afghans will need it to be easier to get a permanent residence permit, says immigration spokeswoman Rosa Lund.
The rules for obtaining a permanent residence permit contain a number of requirements. Among other things, you must be at work and have been so for a significant period, have passed Danish test 2 or equivalent, have no debt to the public sector and have not committed a crime.
16 percent answer in the survey from Voxmeter that they disagree or strongly disagree that the group should have a permanent residence permit.
17.2 percent neither agree nor disagree.
A broad majority in the Folketing has decided that the locally employed Afghans from the Danish embassy can be granted temporary residence in Denmark for two years.
After the two years, they can apply for a residence permit in Denmark according to the Aliens Act.
The Liberal Party is not opposed to the group having permanent residence. Immigration spokesman Mads Fuglede believes, however, that this must be done according to the system of residence that is already used.
– If it leads to you being here permanently because you have helped the Danish effort, it is fine for us.
– But if you in a way step next to and do not live up to the rules, so you do not get an extended stay, it is also fine with us, he says.
With the Conservatives, foreign affairs spokesman Marcus Knuth is also well pleased with the agreement.
– 15 years ago, when about 400 Iraqi interpreters came to Denmark, almost half ended up leaving Denmark again.
– So learned from those experiences, we think that a two-year residence permit with the opportunity to apply for asylum and in the long run a permanent residence permit is the right first step, he says.
It is not clear how large a number of local employees and their families Denmark will evacuate from Afghanistan.
On Thursday morning, a plane with 84 evacuees landed in Copenhagen.
Later, Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod (S) stated that another 320 people had been evacuated from Kabul. These included interpreters, local NGO staff, human rights defenders and their families.
Ritzau has not been able to get a comment from Minister of Foreign Affairs and Integration Mattias Tesfaye (S).
Source: The Nordic Page