Today in Denmark: A round-up of the latest news on Thursday
Find out what's going on in Denmark today with The Local's short round-up of the news in less than five minutes.
German border crossings to reopen
Police in South Jutland are to ease restrictions on the border with Germany, meaning that a number of crossings that have been shut off during the coronavirus pandemic will be open again.
A total of 13 smaller crossings will be open again from tomorrow, broadcaster DR reports. They have been closed since February 20th.
“We are very pleased about this. It’s been an obstacle – both for our own citizens but also from those from the south,” Henrik Frandsen, the mayor of border town Tønder, told DR.
Denmark still has entry restrictions in place, although less strict rules are applied to people who live in border areas.
READ ALSO:
- Denmark to ease travel guidelines: Here’s how rules will change
- Denmark to ease travel restrictions: When and how can I enter or leave?
Opposition party leader wants faster reopening plan
Denmark should speed up its current plan to lift coronavirus restrictions, says the leader of the Liberal party Jakob Ellemann-Jensen. The centre-right Liberals are the largest party in opposition.
Ellemann-Jensen wants the phase of restrictions currently scheduled to take effect on May 21st to be pushed forward to May 6th.
Under the current plan, on May 6th concert venues, theatres and cinemas will be allowed to open. The public assembly limit indoors, currently 10 persons, will further increase to 25 people, while the outdoor assembly limit will increase to 75.
The following phase of reopening on May 21st sees the limit go up again, to 50 persons indoors and 100 outdoors. Meanwhile all sports, leisure and association-based activities not permitted in previous rounds reopen, if infections are still controlled.
“We are in a favourable situation and we should all be happy about that. But we should also react and not pretend the world is not how it is,” Ellemann-Jensen said.
Discussion will take place in parliament today which could see changes to the current reopening plan. The discussions are provided for by the plan itself, and are scheduled on a regular basis to clarify a need to either speed up or slow down reopening as the spring progresses.
READ ALSO: What changes about life in Denmark in May 2021?
Danish ministers visit Rwanda to sign mysterious agreement
The immigration minister Mattias Tesfaye and international development minister Flemming Møller Mortensen travelled to Rwanda this week to sign an agreement of some form with the Rwandan government.
The trip has not been publicised by Copenhagen, but the ministers could be seen in photos tweeted by Rwanda’s foreign ministry.
It appears the agreement relates to asylum and migration issues, leading speculation in Denmark to suggest the government is planning an offshore reception centre for refugees in the African country.
That remains no more than pure speculation for now, since both Tesfaye and Mortensen have so far refused to comment, according to DR.
Minister of State Prof. Manasseh Nshuti signed MoUs on political consultations and cooperation on asylum and migration issues with @FlemmingMM, Minister for development Cooperation and @mattiastesfaye, Minister for Immigration and Integration of Denmark. pic.twitter.com/p3MhYYPdMH
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Int'l Cooperation (@RwandaMFA) April 27, 2021
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German border crossings to reopen
Police in South Jutland are to ease restrictions on the border with Germany, meaning that a number of crossings that have been shut off during the coronavirus pandemic will be open again.
A total of 13 smaller crossings will be open again from tomorrow, broadcaster DR reports. They have been closed since February 20th.
“We are very pleased about this. It’s been an obstacle – both for our own citizens but also from those from the south,” Henrik Frandsen, the mayor of border town Tønder, told DR.
Denmark still has entry restrictions in place, although less strict rules are applied to people who live in border areas.
READ ALSO:
- Denmark to ease travel guidelines: Here’s how rules will change
- Denmark to ease travel restrictions: When and how can I enter or leave?
Opposition party leader wants faster reopening plan
Denmark should speed up its current plan to lift coronavirus restrictions, says the leader of the Liberal party Jakob Ellemann-Jensen. The centre-right Liberals are the largest party in opposition.
Ellemann-Jensen wants the phase of restrictions currently scheduled to take effect on May 21st to be pushed forward to May 6th.
Under the current plan, on May 6th concert venues, theatres and cinemas will be allowed to open. The public assembly limit indoors, currently 10 persons, will further increase to 25 people, while the outdoor assembly limit will increase to 75.
The following phase of reopening on May 21st sees the limit go up again, to 50 persons indoors and 100 outdoors. Meanwhile all sports, leisure and association-based activities not permitted in previous rounds reopen, if infections are still controlled.
“We are in a favourable situation and we should all be happy about that. But we should also react and not pretend the world is not how it is,” Ellemann-Jensen said.
Discussion will take place in parliament today which could see changes to the current reopening plan. The discussions are provided for by the plan itself, and are scheduled on a regular basis to clarify a need to either speed up or slow down reopening as the spring progresses.
READ ALSO: What changes about life in Denmark in May 2021?
Danish ministers visit Rwanda to sign mysterious agreement
The immigration minister Mattias Tesfaye and international development minister Flemming Møller Mortensen travelled to Rwanda this week to sign an agreement of some form with the Rwandan government.
The trip has not been publicised by Copenhagen, but the ministers could be seen in photos tweeted by Rwanda’s foreign ministry.
It appears the agreement relates to asylum and migration issues, leading speculation in Denmark to suggest the government is planning an offshore reception centre for refugees in the African country.
That remains no more than pure speculation for now, since both Tesfaye and Mortensen have so far refused to comment, according to DR.
Minister of State Prof. Manasseh Nshuti signed MoUs on political consultations and cooperation on asylum and migration issues with @FlemmingMM, Minister for development Cooperation and @mattiastesfaye, Minister for Immigration and Integration of Denmark. pic.twitter.com/p3MhYYPdMH
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Int'l Cooperation (@RwandaMFA) April 27, 2021
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