Denmark: Another immigration employee arrested
Another immigration employee arrestedAnother official with the Danish Immigration Service has been arrested on suspicion that she sold at least 12 residence permits to foreigners. One colleague and 8 Chinese students have also been arrested for bribery. The 33-year-old woman appeared before a Copenhagen court on Saturday, where a judge decided that she was not to be remanded as her colleague had been. Her detainment, however, was extended for three days. 'The police material is weak, and the only reason why they did not release her is the serious nature of the case, as far as I can see,' said Carsten Hauch, the woman's attorney. 'We are not used to seeing cases where governmental authorities accept bribes.' Suspicions against the officials arose last week, after the police arrested five illegal Chinese immigrants. On 19 May a 41-year-old former employee with the Immigration Service was arrested for having accepted bribes from January 2003 to March 2005. Daily newspaper Fyens Stiftstidende reported that the man had sold permits to Chinese students for DKK 38,000 each. After receiving further information from the service, the police decided to arrest the woman as well. Immigration Minister Rikke Hvilshøj decided Friday to launch a detailed revaluation of residence permits of almost 5,000 Chinese students in Denmark. The Immigration Service also came under scrutiny in 1988, when a secretary was imprisoned for five months for stealing 20 passports from her workplace and selling them on to a refugee living in Denmark.
Civil servant remanded on suspicion of taking bribes
A former employee with the Danish Immigration Service has been remanded in custody for another two weeks on suspicion he received 800,000 kroner in exchange for issuing 21 temporary residence permits to Chinese nationals. Police said seven Chinese immigrants have also been arrested, suspected of bribing the civil servant and of forgery. The former civil servant, who was arrested last week after the Immigration Service contacted the police, is facing preliminary charges of receiving 38,000 kroner per permit. If found guilty, he could face six years in prison.
Chinese children could have been sold to sex trade
Swedish police fear that sixty Chinese children who sought asylum in Sweden could have been sold into slavery in the Netherlands. An investigation into the disappearances began two weeks ago, amid fears that the children could be being exploited by the sex industry. Other theories are that they could be being used as cheap factory labour. "The reason why these Chinese children seek asylum in Sweden is still unclear. Many other countries in Europe have had the same problem. We are now trying to understand what is happening".
Denmark and our condescending politicians
Yes, my friend, political tactics and maneuvers is the reason for this damn mess that we're in now! And they've all gotten away without apologizing a bit! What kind of civility is it that allows one fifth of a country to determine an important development which is even contrary to the wishes of the remaining four fifths just because our laws are made that way?
1 Comments:
This quote from Czeck president Vaclav Klaus is spot on:
I cannot imagine a democratic society without a nation state. ... Democracy needs an identifiable state as its base--otherwise we are in a post-democracy and the European Union is a post-democratic institution.
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