Living conditions and access to medical facilities in Danish asylum centres are very good, although there are concerns about how long people remain there. That was the conclusion of a visit by MEPs on the Civil Liberties Committee to the asylum and detention centres near Copenhagen on 10-11 April. Members thought the conditions compared favourably to those in other EU states although there was disquiet that some inmates had been there for up to eight years.

 

It was part of a series of fact finding missions MEPs are conducting across Europe to assess conditions in closed centres for immigrants and asylum seekers. Last Thursday, MEPs visited Sandholm Camp for asylum seekers, Ellebæk Detention Centre and Centre Kongelunden, all located in the Copenhagen area.
 
Following the visit, most of the delegation members agreed that the physical living conditions in the Danish centres were outstanding, comparing favourably with the situation observed in other European Union countries. Access to education and medical help within the centres was also highlighted: “The Red Cross is doing a terrific job in making the living conditions as normal as possible for the asylum seekers in the centres”, said Danish Socialist Britta Thomsen.
 
Some in centres for 8 years
 
The main concern raised by MEPs was the length of time that refused asylum seekers (who refuse to return their country of origin), spend in the centres without any certainty about their future. Some had stayed in the Sandholm centre for more than eight years, without being able to work or take part in life in the surrounding community.
 
Heading the delegation was Cypriot MEP Panayiotis Demetriou (EPP-ED). He told us that while other member states are facing serious problems with the physical living conditions in detention centres, at Sandholm the problem was different:  “The problem for me is the length of time that these people have to stay in the centres, after the rejection of their application. It also has serious consequences for the parent’s ability in bringing up their children. When we are dealing with human beings, we have to be more flexible.”
 
Fears for social prospects of children
 
Parliament's rapporteur on the issue is French Socialist Martine Roure. She agreed that the main problem is the length of time refused asylum seekers stay inside the centres: “We are very concerned about the people who spend years and years, without the possibility to work – It’s also a way to create socially handicapped children.”
 
The delegation members expressed regret that they had not been able to meet the Danish Minister for Integration, Birthe Rønn Hornbech. "We would have liked to speak to the minister about the law, which apparently causes people to spend several years in the Danish asylum centres," Mr Demetriou said.
 
The aim of the EP missions is to check whether Community standards are being followed in EU states. So far, delegations from the Civil Liberties Committee have visited detention centres in Italy, Spain, France, Malta, Greece, Belgium, the UK, the Netherlands, Poland and now Denmark. Their next destination will be Cyprus.
 
In our next article on immigration we will take a closer look at the main problems that asylum seekers face in their daily lives. 

Spending years in an asylum centre separated from family and friends and unable to work in the outside community - this is the distressing story that many asylum seekers in Europe currently face. Zina Rasam is a graduate of civil engineering from Iraq. She has been in the Sandholm detention centre near Copenhagen since 2005. On 10 April she spoke to MEPs about her experiences in the camp and her hopes for the future. After the meeting she shared some of her experiences with us.

 

Zina and her 10 year old daughter joined her husband, who had been in the camp since 2000, at Sandholm over three years ago. She is waiting to hear if her appeal to be granted asylum will be accepted after her initial request was rejected.
 
Waiting exacts a mental and physical toll
 
Although conditions at the camp were found to be good by visiting MEPs, the fact that Zina cannot leave means that to all intents and purposes the centre has become a prison. "The hardest thing is that we don't know when we can leave. Spending several years in a centre creates a lot of stress and nervousness," she said. The waiting and uncertainty as to their ultimate fate can take a physical toll. Zina explained that "illnesses like headaches, stomach cramps and high blood pressure are very common".
 
The meeting in Copenhagen with MEPs was also attended by non governmental organisations who work in the asylum field. Bente Reich is a psychiatrist experienced in dealing with asylum seekers. She told the meeting that "living in an asylum centre for years has serious consequences for the physical and mental health of the asylum seekers". She said "international studies show that the number of attempted suicides within asylum centers is approximately six times higher than outside in the surrounding society."
 
A strong desire to work and "contribute to society"
 
For Zina one of the most frustrating aspects of her fate is that she has good academic skills (she is a civil engineer) and would like to use them. "My strongest hope is to one day be able to contribute to society," she said.
 
The fact that her case as been reopened has given her hope that one day she will be allowed to stay: "I hope I will be able to stay here in Denmark with my husband and daughter. Our future is not in Iraq. I hope to learn Danish soon – my little daughter already speaks Danish very well, and she also wishes to stay here."
 
Last year the Danish authorities granted asylum to 1275 individuals and gave out a total of over 37,000 residence permits. Zina Rasam and her family are hoping that this year they will be among the lucky ones granted asylum.

One aspect that a recent visit to asylum centres in Denmark brought home was the fate of children in such centres around Europe. As Cypriot MEP Panayiotis Demetriou (EPP-ED) said after seeing the Danish system, the time spent waiting for asylum requests to be processed can be seriously detrimental not only to parenting skills but also for children. Last year there were 466 children in asylum centres in Denmark alone and on average their wait will be 2.4 years before their case is resolved.

During the MEPs' visit to Denmark leading medical experts and NGO's warned of the psychological effect on children. Psychiatrist Bente Reich told a meeting of MEPs and asylum experts in Copenhagen on 10 April that "the children are the big losers, because they are very dependent on the environment in the family".
 
Children showing signs of metal illness
 
She warned of the dangers of depressed parents - "if the parents for instance are suicidal, the children will do anything to protect them". The risks of parents committing suicide is a very real one - figures for the period 2001-2007 showed that 43 parents in the Danish asylum system tried to commit suicide.
 
According to Ms Reich, an unstable family environment also affects the children’s social and educational abilities in a very negative way. "The best way to start rehabilitation is to give them certainty about their future." According to the weekly journal for doctors - "Ugeskrift for læger" - 35 % of asylum children age 4-16 show signs of mental illness, while the number is 58 % for children aged 11 – 16.
 
Fear of "socially handicapped children"
 
Gerd Gotlieb of “Grandparents for Asylum and Asylum Now” said that although all asylum children in Denmark have the right to go to school, the majority have no access to the normal Danish school system.
 
Inger Neufeld of "save the children" told us that often asylum children disappear when they are told that they have to return their country of origin. This often leads children to become victims of trafficking, she said.
 
French Socialist Martine Roure agreed with Mr Demetriou, and added that long stays in the centres create "socially handicapped children".
 
Merna Samir's story: "My dream is to become a lawyer"
 
Merna Samir is 20 years old and has spent the last six years in the Sandholm Camp. Her father was killed many years ago by the Iraqi authorities under Saddam Hussein's regime. She told us that she has never been in touch with the Danish educational system outside the camp:  "My dream is to become a lawyer, but under the current circumstances it’s not possible”. She went on to say that "I hope that I will one day be able to take part in society, like all other young people".
 
The final word on the visit goes to Mr Demetriou, "children are the most valuable creatures and we have to take more care of them. Beyond the rules and regulations - we are dealing with children."