Denmark wants migrants to work for welfare benefits

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"For too many years we have done a disservice to a lot of people by not demanding anything of them," she added of the plan, which needs to be approved by lawmakers.

Mai Villadsen, spokeswoman of the left-wing Unity List, condemned Tuesday's announcement as misguided.
"I'm afraid this will end up as state-supported social dumping, sending people into crazy jobs," she told broadcaster TV2.

Initially, it will be a requirement for those who have been on benefits for three to four years, and who have not attained a certain level of schooling and proficiency in Danish.

Working hours will be a minimum of 37 hours a week, Ms Frederiksen said.

The Danish government plans to make migrants work full-time jobs if they want to continue receiving state benefits.

Announcing the plan on Tuesday the government said it was designed to help migrants assimilate into society.https://t.co/JBwzgZNRmx

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According to the government, six out of 10 women from the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey do not participate in the Danish labour market.

The plan says it aims to integrate 20,000 people by pushing them to find some form of work, through local government offices.

"It could be a job on the beach picking up cigarette butts or plastic... (or) helping to solve various tasks within a company," employment minister Peter Hummelgaard said.

"The most important thing for us is that people get out of their homes," he added.

Ms Frederiksen's government, in power since 2019, has set a target of zero asylum applications, which have already fallen. Just 851 were received between the 1 January and the 31 July this year.

According to official statistics, 11 per cent of Denmark's 5.8 million people are immigrants, and 58 per cent of those are citizens of a country that Copenhagen classifies as "non-Western".

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