Danish ex-minister sentenced in underage asylum separations case
- Inger Stojberg denied breaking the law saying her aim was to stamp out child marriages and protect underage girls
- The right-wing politician was behind Denmark’s tough immigration policies, allowing authorities to confiscate asylum seekers’ jewellery
Former Danish immigration minister Inger Stojberg, known for her hardline stance in that role, was handed a 60-day prison sentence on Monday by an impeachment court for having illegally ordered the separation of underage couples seeking asylum.
Stojberg was accused of knowingly breaking the law by ordering the separation of all asylum-seeking refugee couples where at least one was under 18 years of age, a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Under Danish and human rights law, couples must be assessed individually, implying that the minister’s order to separate all underage couples was illegal. A total of 23 couples were separated.
“I’m very, very surprised. I think it is the Danish values that have lost,” Stojberg told reporters. “I wished and still wish to protect these girls.”
The right-wing politician, minister from 2015-19 for the Liberal Party, has repeatedly denied giving any illegal order, saying the aim was to stamp out child marriages and protect underage girls.
