[JURIST] The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief Heiner Bielefeld called [statement] Tuesday on Denmark to be more inclusive to all of its citizens [press release]. The Special Rapporteur stated, “the Government has to play a leading role in further developing a fair and inclusive Danish society, in which members of religious communities, as well as secular people, can likewise feel at home.” The Special Rapporteur, although acknowledging the country’s progress, stated that the government needs to lead by example by halting its reference to Muslims as extremist or terrorists in the state. He stressed that the government’s actions of giving special privileges to certain groups has done nothing but create inequality for religious minorities in the state.

Danish lawmakers recently faced backlash for approving a controversial bill that will allow authorities to seize assets [JURIST report] from immigrants seeking asylum in order to cover their expenses. Under the law, police will be allowed to search and seize immigrants’ cash or belongings valued over 10,000 kroner (USD $1,450). Several human rights organizations have criticized the law [Al Jazeera report], likening it to the seizure of valuable belongings by Nazi forces during World War II. However, lawmakers have defended the law stating that it aligns with the welfare model of Denmark.