More refugees leave following payment increase
118,000 kroner payment a good deal for country, according to economists So far this year, some 332 refugees and immigrants have returned to their homeland with support money from the state, reports Politiken newspaper. The number is more than double...
So far this year, some 332 refugees and immigrants have returned to their homeland with support money from the state, reports Politiken newspaper.
The number is more than double the five-year average of 158.
The increase is thought to be due to changes in the financial support programme for refugees who return to their home country. Since March this year have been offered 118,000 kroner, in contrast to the previous amount of 29,000 kroner.
In addition, Denmark pays their transport costs, and the repatriated refugees can also apply for a special pension allowance from the Danish state.
Some 214 million kroner has been set aside for the programme from 2010 to 2014.
However, according to the Danish Economic Council, this support is ultimately profitable for Denmark, since the majority of those leaving are elderly people who are not on the job market, and that it eases the pressure on health expenses.
The Danish Refugee Council reported that the majority of refugees leaving the country are Bosnians who came to Denmark as refugees in the 1990s. Turkish and Iraqi citizens are also well represented in the statistics.
The Danish refugee support scheme is far more extensive than similar schemes in Sweden and Norway, where there is no pension allowance and the one-off payment is less than 10,000 Danish kroner.
In the first eight months of this year, Sweden and Norway only repatriated 16 refugees with public financial support.