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Denmark: Helsingor says no to refugees

01 January 1991

Denmark: Helsingor says no to refugees
artdoc June=1993

More than 1,000 Helsingor residents attended a meeting to hear
the Home Secretary's arguments for why they should accept the
arrival of 800 refugees from the former Yugoslavia. Despite
appeals to their `good nature', the residents were not swayed,
and by the end of the meeting most of them still considered 800
refugees too many for their town (Jyllands-Posten 18.3.93).

Helsingor asylum-centre attacked

The Montebello asylum centre, built to house 800 people from the
condemned asylum ship Norrona, was smothered with racist graffiti
which was removed before the new residents arrived. Slogans such
as `Yugos go home', `Leave or burn', `No welcome' and `Burn in
Hell' were daubed on the walls along with swastikas and other
nazi symbols. (Frederiksborg Amts Avis 23.2.93).
Later, in April, a Bosnian family escaped unhurt after a
molotov cocktail was hurled at a bedroom window of the Montebello
asylum centre. Frightened residents at the centre, immediately
held a meeting to discuss safety procedures. Police
superintendent, Steen Anderson, of Helsingor police, said
`Recently a right wing group has handed out anti-refugee
handbills in Helsingor. Although there is a big difference
between handbills and molotov cocktails, we will be contacting
them.' (Jyllands-Posten 6.4.93, Politiken 6.4.93).

More attacks on asylum centres

A cross was set alight in KKK style outside an asylum centre in
Silkeborg (Jyllands-Posten 7.4.93). And nazi graffiti and
handbills put out by the DNSB and bearing the motto `Rostock
today, Denmark tomorrow' bombarded Kongelund asylum centre on
Amager over the Easter weekend (Danish Radio News 14.4.93).
Meanwhile, the three Danes who beat up two refugees from the
former Yugoslavia and threatened to kill them (see bulletin no.
3) have been sentenced to four months imprisonment and ordered
to pay DKK 10,000 compensations to the victims (Jyllands-Posten
5.3.93).

IRR European Race Audit no 4 1993. Contact: Liz Fekete, Institute
of Race Relations, 2-6 Leeke Street, London WC1X 9HS. Tel: ++ 071
837 0041