Danish former justice minister calls for grouping of immigrants

Whilst Denmark isn’t exactly at the top of the list for would-be migrants, it seems to have similar problems about attracting the right type of expat as many other first world countries.

The former Danish justice minister, Brian Mikkelsen, has put forward a suggestion that prospective immigrants should be divided into two groups, the bad and the good. Those meriting the label ‘good’ should be allowed to enter and stay and the bad should be sent back to their home countries.

Speaking to reporters from the Jyllands-Posten newspaper, he admitted speaking publicly about his views was politically incorrect, but reiterated that some immigrants are good for the county and some are not. He added that now was the time to take off the rose-coloured spectacles and begin a debate about immigration as a two-tiered system.

Bad immigrants, he continued arrive from certain specific countries and often end up committing crimes and being sent to prison. He believes that these should be deported and that only those who earn money, pay taxes and contribute in other ways to Denmark should be welcomed.

Mikklesen’s views are the result of the country’s stringent immigration laws, which have been proven to be counter-productive on many occasions. Whilst his party was in power, he helped to construct the present system, now considered restrictive, although he insists the laws were necessary to control the open-door policy introduced by the previous government.

He’s impressed by the Canadian immigration system, saying that it encourages immigrants who have high marks in language, job experience and education and disallows those who are unable to pass the points test. Denmark, he insist, has need of highly-educated immigrants.