Apparently the cold Danish summer has led its leaders to dream of Australia. If only they had focused on the sun and sand.
Instead, Denmark's new right-wing government has decided to adapt Australia's "No Way" campaign.
The Australian campaign should have been shamefully dismissed and cursed by all thinking men and women. This is the poster at the heart of the campaign:
Apparently no one in Australia's government looked at this and thought "I wonder why someone would take that tiny little boat in the midst of those roaring seas? I guess it must be pretty desperate for them back where they are from."
Instead, they thought, "No matter how desperate someone is, I bet this will deter them from coming to our shores."
Australia's campaign is hateful, disturbing, and suggests a lack of care both for human beings and for their international legal commitments.
The treatment of refugees in Australia has been denounced by its own human rights commission, and the conditions are so bad that the government felt it necessary to make it a criminal offense for those who work in refugee camps to publicly comment on the deplorable conditions, just to retain support for its programme.
Somehow, the Danish government saw all this and thought "Let's do that!"
But for better and for worse, Denmark is no Australia, lacking a flare for the dramatic. So, instead Denmark adopted these advertisements, also aimed at deterring refugees from coming:
The text is small so let me recap what it's telling people:
Instead, Denmark's new right-wing government has decided to adapt Australia's "No Way" campaign.
The Australian campaign should have been shamefully dismissed and cursed by all thinking men and women. This is the poster at the heart of the campaign:
Apparently no one in Australia's government looked at this and thought "I wonder why someone would take that tiny little boat in the midst of those roaring seas? I guess it must be pretty desperate for them back where they are from."
Instead, they thought, "No matter how desperate someone is, I bet this will deter them from coming to our shores."
Australia's campaign is hateful, disturbing, and suggests a lack of care both for human beings and for their international legal commitments.
The treatment of refugees in Australia has been denounced by its own human rights commission, and the conditions are so bad that the government felt it necessary to make it a criminal offense for those who work in refugee camps to publicly comment on the deplorable conditions, just to retain support for its programme.
Somehow, the Danish government saw all this and thought "Let's do that!"
But for better and for worse, Denmark is no Australia, lacking a flare for the dramatic. So, instead Denmark adopted these advertisements, also aimed at deterring refugees from coming:
The text is small so let me recap what it's telling people:
- Refugees will get half the social benefits they used to get;
- Foreign nationals granted temporary residence permits (including refugees) are not allowed to bring family members over for the first year;
- Foreign residents have to stay in Denmark for 5 years, and be able to pass Danish language exams, in order to get residence.
The text has been translated into 10 languages and distributed around the world, but most notably in places where refugees are likely to come from, including Lebanon.
Denmark believes these advertisements will make the state less attractive to refugees.
But all the advertisements really do is show how out of touch the current Danish government is with the crisis.
The advertisements are premised on beliefs held by the likes of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (who has probably met very few refugees in his life), who argue that what attracts refugees to certain countries is the promise of social benefits. As Ebba said yesterday, that's probably true for a some refugees. But, I maintain, it's not true for many.
The other day I discussed the problems that lead people to flee further and further into Europe. I won't repeat that post here, but I will say that the advertisements are unlikely to deter refugees from coming to Denmark because what is pushing people is primarily the hope for an opportunity to succeed in life.
Those opportunities are not available in places like Hungary, not because of a stagnant economy (though that does add to the problem), but because the routine racism present in Hungary, stemming from the top down, prevents opportunities for success.
Similarly, you are unlikely to see more Syrian refugees make their way to Jordan and Lebanon, where refugees again have limited rights.
What could deter refugees from Denmark is a cultural change that Denmark shouldn't want: giving up their egalitarian society.
Denmark has long prided itself on its egalitarian nature. Danes will frequently compare their system to the US one, preaching to my converted self that universal health care and education are essentials for a society that hopes individuals will succeed on their own merit, rather than on family wealth.
Everyone is covered by the national health insurance because the likelihood of surviving a cancer diagnosis should not determine by where your father works.
Similarly, higher education comes with a stipend because it provides parity between students. Without these benefits, some students would under-perform in university because they would have to work 3 jobs while others could sail through without having to work a single day of their degree.
Denmark also has a history of standing with the oppressed.
This is a country where, in World War II, the King chose to wear the Star of David in solidarity with the country's Jewish population. Non-Jewish Danes followed the King's lead so that the Nazis could not easily target Jewish residents.
When Danish Jews were going to be captured and sent to concentration camps, average Danes worked together to transport the Jewish population to neutral Sweden. As a result, 99% of Denmark's Jewish population survived the Holocaust, an unparalleled statistic in Europe.
That egalitarian spirit would need to be fundamentally altered if Denmark is to dissuade refugees because it is not the social benefits offered but the real security provided that drives refugees to places Denmark, Sweden and Germany. That security includes not just physical safety.
Physical safety is what will cause a refugee to flee in the first place. Once someone has fled their old life, however, the need for physical security is joined by the hope of economic and social stability. There is a desire to build a new life, integrate into a community, and provide for themselves and their families.
But all the advertisements really do is show how out of touch the current Danish government is with the crisis.
The advertisements are premised on beliefs held by the likes of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (who has probably met very few refugees in his life), who argue that what attracts refugees to certain countries is the promise of social benefits. As Ebba said yesterday, that's probably true for a some refugees. But, I maintain, it's not true for many.
The other day I discussed the problems that lead people to flee further and further into Europe. I won't repeat that post here, but I will say that the advertisements are unlikely to deter refugees from coming to Denmark because what is pushing people is primarily the hope for an opportunity to succeed in life.
Those opportunities are not available in places like Hungary, not because of a stagnant economy (though that does add to the problem), but because the routine racism present in Hungary, stemming from the top down, prevents opportunities for success.
Similarly, you are unlikely to see more Syrian refugees make their way to Jordan and Lebanon, where refugees again have limited rights.
What could deter refugees from Denmark is a cultural change that Denmark shouldn't want: giving up their egalitarian society.
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| "Dannebrog 3" by Jacob Bøtter - Flickr. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dannebrog_3.jpg#/media/File:Dannebrog_3.jpg |
Denmark has long prided itself on its egalitarian nature. Danes will frequently compare their system to the US one, preaching to my converted self that universal health care and education are essentials for a society that hopes individuals will succeed on their own merit, rather than on family wealth.
Everyone is covered by the national health insurance because the likelihood of surviving a cancer diagnosis should not determine by where your father works.
Similarly, higher education comes with a stipend because it provides parity between students. Without these benefits, some students would under-perform in university because they would have to work 3 jobs while others could sail through without having to work a single day of their degree.
Denmark also has a history of standing with the oppressed.
This is a country where, in World War II, the King chose to wear the Star of David in solidarity with the country's Jewish population. Non-Jewish Danes followed the King's lead so that the Nazis could not easily target Jewish residents.
When Danish Jews were going to be captured and sent to concentration camps, average Danes worked together to transport the Jewish population to neutral Sweden. As a result, 99% of Denmark's Jewish population survived the Holocaust, an unparalleled statistic in Europe.
That egalitarian spirit would need to be fundamentally altered if Denmark is to dissuade refugees because it is not the social benefits offered but the real security provided that drives refugees to places Denmark, Sweden and Germany. That security includes not just physical safety.
Physical safety is what will cause a refugee to flee in the first place. Once someone has fled their old life, however, the need for physical security is joined by the hope of economic and social stability. There is a desire to build a new life, integrate into a community, and provide for themselves and their families.
Denmark's advertisements are unlikely to dissuade refugees from seeking protection here. Instead, it will simply damage the state's reputation in the eyes of people like me, who have chosen to make it home because we, too, hold egalitarian principles and hope to contribute to a society where those values are manifest.
It's not too late for Denmark to change it's attitude and to re-embrace the egalitarian nature that led to some of the most amazing moments in Nazi-resistance.
Denmark's leadership should stop emulating Australia and reverse the message in its advertisements. I suggest they start with: #RefugeeWelcome
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