Denmark Passes Controversial Bill Allowing Officials to Seize Refugees’ Valuables

The Parliament in Denmark has passed a controversial bill on Tuesday that will undoubtedly deter refugees from seeking asylum.

Under the "jewelry bill," which was passed 81 to 27 with one abstention, Danish officials will now be legally able to seize valuable items and cash worth up to 10,000 Danish kroner ($1,450) from the refugees as a form of payment for their stay.

The Danish Ministry of Immigration stated that items with "sentimental value," which can include "wedding rings, engagement rings, family portraits" and more would not be seized.

Several international human rights groups have voiced their opposition to this law.

"To prolong the suffering of vulnerable people who have been ripped apart from their families by conflict or persecution is plain wrong," John Dalhuisen, the director of Amnesty International's Europe and Central Asia, said in a statement reported by CNN. "Today's meanspirited vote in Danish parliament seeks not only to pilfer the possessions refugees cling to, but also to needlessly lengthen their separation from their loved ones."

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) stated recently that the bill "could fuel fear, xenophobia and similar restrictions that would reduce -- rather than expand -- the asylum space globally and put refugees in need at life-threatening risks," the Washington Post quoted.

Under the new bill, refugees can apply for reunification with their family members in Denmark in three years instead of the previous one-year wait.

"The aim is to make sure that (fewer) people come to Denmark, if it's hard to bring your family," Martin Henriksen, spokesman for the right-wing Danish People's Party said.

The party supported the bill.

Prior to the bill, the government explained the importance of having every resident contribute to the nation's welfare.

"All Danish citizens and refugees coming here receive universal health care; you receive education from preschool to university, and you receive elderly care; you receive language training and integration training free of charge, paid for by the government," Liberal Party spokesman Jakob Ellemann-Jensen explained to CNN's Christiane Amanpour in December. "The only demand that we set to measure this is if you have the means to pay for your housing and for your food -- regardless of whether you are a Dane or whether you are a refugee -- then you should."

Denmark took in a record number of 20,000 refugees who were fleeing dangerous conditions and war times in their home countries last year.