The Danish government's proposals for tightening the law against refugees and immigrants entrenches their status as second- and third-class citizens with a hitherto unsurpassed cold-heartedness towards people fleeing persecution as well as mixed-race marriages. The apartheid-like initiative will give rise to even greater antagonism, increased marginalisation and heightened tension between ethnic minorities and the rest of society, and if the proposals are adopted, the Minority Party would encourage all who have room in their hearts as well as their homes to adopt a policy of civil disobedience by hiding and supporting spouses and refugees who would otherwise be deported to an uncertain and unhappy future!

Foreman for the Minority Party, Rune Engelbreth Larsen comments: "The government's cold-heartedness is unprecedented, and the Minority Party can only appeal to conscientious people to put their conscience above the law and support the many individuals who already save lives by giving sanctuary to illegal immigrants in Denmark! There is already indication of extensive and sharp criticism internationally, and one of the world's most highly respected journalists, BBC's Tim Sebastian, completely got the better of the Danish foreign minister in BBC World's 'Hard Talk' by exhibiting an exemplary journalistic fearlessness towards the intolerance of the ruling authority."

Deputy Foreman for the Minority Party, Souhail Ibrahim comments: "Denmark is edging ever closer towards apartheid-like laws and regulations, the result of which will be frustration and desperation as well as understandable contempt for the Danish authorities among an even greater number of immigrants. Where are the positive signals towards the multicultural Denmark? Where is the help to facilitate the introduction into the labour market of ethnic minorities? Not in the government's proposals."

Member of the Minority Party's executive committee, Bashy Quraishy comments: "This is a call for all immigrant organisations to stand together, to fight apartheid as it manifests itself in Denmark today and reverse its development! If we fail to do this, the extreme nationalists of the Danish People's Party will gain all the benefits on the one hand, while fundamentalists and extremists will become a rallying point for resistance on the other. Is this really what the government wishes?"

THE MINORITY PARTY