Denmark has completed its evacuation of Danish delegation staff in Afghanistan.
“A total of 384 people have now flown to Denmark from Afghanistan. All local employees at the Danish embassy, both current and those who have worked for us within two years, and their families who have accepted the offer of evacuation, are now in Denmark, “has Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod confirmed.
But when the last Danish plane left Kabul, Kofod issued another statement revealing that 40 people with Danish citizenship remained in Afghanistan.
No man left?
According to the Liberal Party’s foreign affairs spokesman, Michael Aastrup Jensen, the evacuation agreement left no Danish employee in Afghanistan in the lurch.
“The model guarantees the safety of local employees and thus delivers the moral responsibility we have towards those who help us,” he said according to TV2.
But the government ‘no man left’ mentality came with the caveat that evacuees must have worked for the embassy within the last two years … which means many former embassy staff were actually left in the lurch.
Strict qualifications
In a speech to CPH POST on condition of anonymity, the relative passed on his experience to a former embassy employee.
“My brother worked for the Danish embassy in Kabul from 2008-2012. He asked the Danish embassy for assistance on 15 August, and he was rejected and received no help, “he said.
“I read that local staff received help and were evacuated. That’s not the whole picture. He is left without help from Denmark, while other countries have helped all those who have worked for them. ”
In response to questions of eligibility, Kofod explained: “Afghans who worked for Denmark more than two years ago can seek help through the existing interpreting agreement if they are specifically threatened.”
However, this window is now closed, with the Ministry of Defense accepting final applications on 21 August.
Denmark’s policy compared
Compared to other countries, Denmark’s qualification criteria are actually a bit strict. Britain promised to consider relocating all local Afghan embassy staff since 2006 under the ex-Gratia scheme of local staff if they “face regular danger from threats, including rebel forces and improvised explosive devices”.
Spain has, in an exemplary manner, set up a reception camp in Madrid with a capacity of 800 for evacuated Afghan EU delegation staff.
In a statement from President von der Leyen during her visit to the Spanish ‘welcome hub’, she praised Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez and the initiative.
“Spain has shown humanity, and Spain has shown a great sense of solidarity. So Spain is here an example for the European soul at its best, and I really want to thank you, ”she said.
The EU’s first flight of Afghan evacuees arrived at Madrid’s Torrejón air base on Thursday with 36 people on board and will subsequently reside in Denmark, Germany, Poland and Lithuania, according to Spanish officials.
In comparison, Denmark could do more. Many of the last flights out of Afghanistan will be today, as US President Joe Biden has asked all US military allies to leave Kabul airport by Saturday to complete the planned evacuation of 5,800 Marines and soldiers.
Time to step up
But there is still time for Denmark to take a proactive stance on accepting Afghan refugees. In fact, Human Rights Watch recommended that European states “should revisit all asylum refusals affecting Afghans and grant them temporary legal status”.
When Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was asked several times whether Denmark would receive Afghan refugees at a press conference on 18 August, she refused to answer.
“I would like to appeal to us to take things in the right order, and right now our people in Afghanistan are in an extremely difficult situation, and that is what we are focusing on,” she said.
Hesitant to speak numbers
The Liberal Party’s political spokesman Andreas Steenberg was similarly non-committal: “Of course we must help, but it is too early to put figures on it yet. We do not know how many refugees are coming. ”
Mai Villadsen from the Unity List also expressed support and suggested that 2,000 refugees, based on Denmark’s population size, should be accepted. “Right now we are in a desperate situation without much overview, and it is important that resourceful countries step in,” she said.
Karsten Hønge, spokesman for the Socialist People’s Party, claimed that “Denmark has an unconditional extra responsibility. For 20 years we have been involved in a completely hopeless war. ”
The next few weeks will be crucial to the rhetoric in Europe about Afghan refugees. Now is an important moment for Denmark to outline a strong humanitarian stance.
Although no concrete promises have been made, the Danish government has donated DKK 100 million to the Red Cross and the UN “to alleviate the crisis in Afghanistan”.
Source: The Nordic Page