196

News

National Round-Up: Returning foreigners not repaying repatriation fees

Roselyne Min
August 10th, 2020


This article is more than 4 years old.

Elsewhere, Chinese security firm refutes espionage allegations and a new fitness chain is set to break a sweat in Denmark

There might be a lot more than a few kroner at stake (photo: WallpaperFlare)

According to BT tabloid, the Danish state has missed out on millions of kroner in cases involving repatriation away from Denmark.

More specifically, it regards repatriation paid to foreigners who have regretted their decision and returned to Denmark without repaying the repatriation support – usually amounting to 100,000-200,000 kroner.

An inept system has meant that municipalities have been unable to track down returned repatriated foreigners if they relocate to another municipality.

READ ALSO: Immigration down, emigration up in Denmark

One out of 140 paid back
This is because the municipalities have not had access to look into whether specific persons have been repatriated in the Immigration Information Portal database.

Therefore, the municipality can only detect a case if the foreigner has come back to the same municipality from which they left.

Of the at least 140 cases uncovered by BT, repatriation returnees paid back the money in just one case. The government says it has no idea how many similar cases are out there.


First prison sentence for speeding offence
A man from Hvidovre who drove 156 km/h over Langebro Bridge in Copenhagen has been sentenced to 30 day-probation. It is the first time in Danish history that a speeding offence has led to a prison sentence. Additionally, the man’s driver’s license has been revoked for a year. However the prison sentence is conditional – the punishment will come into play if he violates the traffic law again.

Chinese firm shoots down espionage allegations
Following the criticism that 88 Chinese surveillance cameras installed on the Danish Naval ships, the Absalon and Esbern Snare, pose a security threat, the Chinese security company Hikvision in question has refuted the possibility that there might be a built-in back door for espionage. The company has called the allegations ‘erroneous claims’ and stated that the company “has unfortunately been caught in a broader political and trade conflict”.

Antibody tests selling strong
An increasingly popular item in pharmacies, over 14,000 coronavirus antibody tests were sold in Denmark by the end of July. When pharmacies initially started selling antibody tests in early June, only a few branches in the capital area had the test available for purchase. Today, the test can be obtained at 140 pharmacies nationwide. So far, only 7 percent have tested positive. However all customers are still encouraged to follow health authority guidelines due to the fact that it is yet unknown how long the antibodies can protect against the coronavirus.

New fitness chain hitting Denmark
In the next five years, a new fitness chain is expected to open around 100 new centres in Denmark. Per Lyngbak Nielsen, one of the founders of Denmark’s biggest fitness chain, Fitness World, is launching the new brand, named FitnessX. Nielsen is investing a significant million-kroner amount into the new chain. However, it is not known when the first FitnessX centre is due to open.


Share

Most popular

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to receive The Daily Post

















Latest Podcast

A survey carried out by Megafon for TV2 has found that 71 percent of parents have handed over children to daycare in spite of them being sick.

Moreover, 21 percent of those surveyed admitted to medicating their kids with paracetamol, such as Panodil, before sending them to school.

The FOLA parents’ organisation is shocked by the findings.

“I think it is absolutely crazy. It simply cannot be that a child goes to school sick and plays with lots of other children. Then we are faced with the fact that they will infect the whole institution,” said FOLA chair Signe Nielsen.

Pill pushers
At the Børnehuset daycare institution in Silkeborg a meeting was called where parents were implored not to bring their sick children to school.

At Børnehuset there are fears that parents prefer to pack their kids off with a pill without informing teachers.

“We occasionally have children who that they have had a pill for breakfast,” said headteacher Susanne Bødker. “You might think that it is a Panodil more than a vitamin pill, if it is a child who has just been sick, for example.”

Parents sick and tired
Parents, when confronted, often cite pressure at work as a reason for not being able to stay at home with their children.

Many declare that they simply cannot take another day off, as they are afraid of being fired.

Allan Randrup Thomsen, a professor of virology at KU, has heavily criticised the parents’ actions, describing the current situation as a “vicious circle”.

“It promotes the spread of viruses, and it adds momentum to a cycle where parents are pressured by high levels of sick-leave. If they then choose to send the children to daycare while they are still recovering, they keep the epidemic going in daycares, and this in turn puts a greater burden on the parents.”