Jacques Hartmann and Nikolas Feith Tan discuss the legality of the Danish law allowing confiscation of the property of asylum seekers to contribute to their expenses in Denmark.
The Danish Parliament recently passed a controversial amendment to the Aliens Act (Bill no.87) giving police the power to search and confiscate the property of asylum seekers to contribute to expenses associated with their stay in Denmark (BBC). First proposed on 10 December 2015, the bill quickly made international headlines (BBC, Washington Post).
Although the confiscation of asylum seekers’ assets probably violates several human rights, so far the implementation of similar laws in other countries does not seem to have lead to complaints before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). This post provides a short analysis of the recent amendment to the Danish Aliens Act, focusing on its implications under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).