The reason given by the government in Copenhagen was the threat posed by terrorism. “The safety of Denmark enjoys the highest priority in the government,” said Foreigners and Integration Minister Inger Stojberg, according to the German regional daily Nordschleswig.
“Although we currently have low asylum and immigration numbers, this does not change the fact that Europe’s external borders are still under pressure,” she added. On Friday, the government informed the EU Commission in Brussels about the measure.
In Denmark, the number of asylum applications last year dropped to its lowest level in 20 years. At present, of the 1 000 refugees in Europe, only five sought asylum in the Scandinavian country.
At the end of March, the Danish government had reached agreement with the Danish People’s Party on a draft law on the expropriation of terrorism fighters.
With the new regulation, the withdrawal of citizenship will be possible even without prior court decision.